Rejected petition Increase the age restriction of Twitter to 16, with tougher penalties for parents who allow minors to access the site

A Twitter user has free, unrestricted access to words, pictures or video posted by another Twitter user.

Hardcore and extreme sexual content is posted by thousands of users worldwide, breaking the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008, Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 and the Sexual Offences Act 2003.

I realise that it is difficult to police the content due to the immense amount of it, however the age restriction for joining Twitter is currently just 13. It is morally wrong for children to have access to this material. Whilst I would prefer a limit of 18 years old, I propose a minimum age limit of 16 in line with the age of consent.

Until Twitter itself takes a stand against under 18's accessing extreme pornography, parents should face stiff penalties for allowing their children to access the site. I propose a fine of £500 for every parent convicted. Repeated offenders who refuse to protect their children face six months in prison.