Ministers are considering introducing tougher online safety measures to limit the amount of time children can spend on social media.
Proposals include a two-hour cap on the use of individual apps and a 10pm curfew.
The father of Molly Russell has warned “sticking plasters” will not be enough to keep youngsters safe.
It comes after technology secretary Peter Kyle said he was looking at the “addictive nature of some of the apps and smartphones” when appearing on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme.
Ian Russell, whose daughter, Molly, took her own life at 14 after seeing harmful content, said: “Every day the government has delayed bringing in tougher online safety laws we’ve seen more young lives lost and damaged because of weak regulation and inaction by big tech.”
Kyle was asked whether he would look at limiting the time children spend on social media to two hours per app after the Sunday People and Mirror reported the measure was being considered.
“I’ve not been able to talk publicly about what the Labour approach is because we have the legacy legislation that has to go through first,” he told host Kuenssberg.
“This year we’ve had illegal content that needs to be taken down, but in July age-appropriate material must be supplied by platforms otherwise there’ll be criminal sanctions against them.
“And in this time, I’ve been looking very carefully about what we do next.”
Pressed on whether he was looking at an “app cap”, Mr Kyle said: “I’m looking at things that prevent healthy activity, I’m looking at some of the addictive nature of some of the apps and smartphones.
“I’m trying to think how we can break some of the addictive behaviour and incentivise more of the healthy developmental… and also the good communicative side of online life.”
The Online Safety Act has passed into law, and from this year will require tech platforms to follow new Ofcom-issued codes of practice to keep users safe online, particularly children.
Hefty fines and site blockages are among the penalties for those caught breaking the rules, but many critics have argued the approach gives tech firms too much scope to regulate themselves.
