Children aged 16 years and below could be barred from assessing social media platforms independently, if Parliament adopts proposals seeking to establish a legal framework for child online protection and digital responsibility.

Petitioner Erickson Odhiambo, seeks the enactment of a Child Online Protection and Digital Responsibility Act, citing the need to protect children from harmful online influences and promote responsible use of digital platforms.

The petition is anchored on Article 53 of the Constitution of Kenya, the Children Act 2022, and the responsibility of the State to protect children from harmful influences.

Odhiambo argues that children face growing risks online. Those risks include cyberbullying, harmful content, misinformation, online exploitation, addictive platform designs, declining educational performance and negative peer influence.

"The petition notes concerns including cyberbullying, harmful content, misinformation, online exploitation, addictive platform design, declining educational performance and negative peer influence," reads the petition submitted to parliament for consideration.

To address these concerns, Odhiambo has recommended setting 16 years as the minimum age for children to independently create social media accounts.

The proposal would also introduce mandatory age verification systems. Platforms would be required to confirm a user’s age before granting access. For users below 16, parental consent would be required before they can join or use online platforms.

He is also calling for digital citizenship education to be integrated into the school curriculum. The goal is to equip learners with skills to navigate the internet safely, identify misinformation, and understand their rights and responsibilities online.

The petition further pushes for stronger child safety obligations for technology companies. Social media firms and other digital service providers would be required to design age-appropriate systems, limit data collection from minors, and build in tools to report abuse and harmful content quickly.

Odhiambo wants Parliament to create a National Child Online Safety Commission. The body would oversee child protection measures, set standards for platforms, handle complaints, and coordinate with schools, parents, and law enforcement on digital safety.

The petition comes just a day after the United Kingdom announced plans to restrict children below 16 years from using some social media platforms as part of efforts to protect them from harmful content and excessive screen time.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the country would ban children under 16 from accessing platforms including Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube, a move that has received both support and criticism.

While some have welcomed the decision, others have questioned whether a blanket restriction would effectively protect children online.

YouTube and Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, warned that a broad ban could push children into less regulated online spaces.

“Blanket bans push kids out of such curated, supervised, beneficial experiences and towards anonymous, less-safe services,” a YouTube spokesperson said.

Meta said such restrictions could force teenagers to use online spaces that do not have parental controls.

Starmer acknowledged the difficulties involved in enforcing the restrictions but said, “I do believe we can enforce it. Teenagers drink before they should, but we do not then say, ‘in which case let us abandon any attempt to stop them buying alcohol.”

The British Prime Minister said some teenagers would attempt to bypass the restrictions but insisted that protecting children remained a priority.

“I am not prepared to compromise on the safety and happiness of our children. Every parent can see it with their own eyes. Social media is making children unhappy,” Starmer said.

“I’ve heard first-hand from families crying out for change, and we will do right by them.”

The planned ban, expected to take effect early next year, places the United Kingdom among countries introducing stricter measures on children’s access to online platforms.

The United Kingdom plans to use a similar approach to Australia, which became the first country to stop children below 16 from holding social media accounts.

Critics of such laws argue that age bans are hard to enforce and may push children to use platforms secretly or lie about their age. Tech companies have also warned that strict age verification could force them to collect more personal data from all users, raising privacy concerns.

Supporters say the measures are necessary to give parents more control and force platforms to prioritize child safety in their designs. They point to features like infinite scroll, autoplay, and algorithm-driven feeds that are engineered to maximize time spent online.