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<p>The DCMS and Home Office joint Online Harms White Paper outlines our plans to establish
in law a new duty of care on companies towards their users, overseen by an independent
regulator. This regulator will set clear safety standards, backed up by mandatory
reporting requirements and effective enforcement powers. The government shares concerns
around designed addiction and is determined to ensure that we have sufficient evidence
on this risk, and the right expectations of companies to design their products in
safe ways. We expect the regulator will continue to support research in this area
to inform future action and, if necessary, set clear expectations for companies to
prevent harm to their users.</p><p> </p><p>In February 2019, the UK Chief Medical
Officers published their review on the impact of social media use on children and
young people’s mental health, followed by advice on how to have a healthy balance
with screen time. They concluded that the published scientific research is currently
insufficient to support evidence-based guidelines on screen time, but there is enough
basis to warrant a precautionary approach and action by schools, government and technology
companies.</p><p> </p>
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