Politician to pursue Snapchat ban for children

Deputy Marc Leadbeater said he was concerned about young people using the platform Snapchat

The new President of Guernsey's Committee for Home Affairs Marc Leadbeater has said he will look into banning the social media platform Snapchat for under 16s.

It follows a high profile case where a Guernsey teenager was sentenced to almost three years in youth detention for child sexual offences after using Snapchat to contact children.

Leadbeater said: "There's eight and nine-year-olds using that app, and there is grooming happening on it".

Snapchat has been contacted for comment.

"I think there's something we need to examine, and if it needs to be a ban for under 16, then so be it."

Scrutiny of smartphones

During elections to committees in the States of Guernsey, Deputy Paul Montague, the new president of Education, Sport and Culture, said he would support a community led ban on smartphones for primary school age children.

Deputy Leadbeater said he would be supportive of the project following pressure from the community group Smartphone Free Childhood Guernsey.

The group is campaigning for a community-wide commitment to delay children getting smartphones until they are at least 14 years old.