�* actual birthday, actual birthday, eek! actual birthday, date and month but _ actual birthday, date and month but when i _ actual birthday, date and month but when it _ actual birthday, - date and month but when it gets to the year ijust date and month but when it gets to the year i just scroll ten years back. also coming up: continental drift. europe's political and economic problems stack up — as eu chief ursula von der leyen prepares for her second term. plus, don't call us fast fashion! the billionaire boss of uniqlo talks sustainability — and his plans to become the world's biggest clothing retailer. and happier holidays! thanksgiving food prices ease on last year. but for americans — will inflation prove to be the gift that keeps on giving? live from london this is business today, i'm lukwesa burak. we start with social media — because as you've been hearing — the uk's communications regulator, ofcom, has found that many children and younger that many children and younger teens are lying about their age teens are lying about their age to get accounts. to get accounts.

that's no new news is it, that's no new news is it, really? and it has warned big tech really? and it has warned big tech firms it expects them to do firms it expects them to do �*much, much more' to �*much, much more' to verify users ages — verify users ages — under the terms of the online under the terms of the online safety act that comes safety act that comes in next year. in next year. in its annual survey of online behaviour — in its annual survey of online behaviour — ofcom found young adults ofcom found young adults are spending an average of six are spending an average of six hours a day online — hours a day online — that figure is for 18—24 year that figure is for 18—24 year olds they spoke to. olds they spoke to. but here's the controversial but here's the controversial bit — more than a fifth bit — more than a fifth of those aged 8 to 17 say of those aged 8 to 17 say they have lied about being over they have lied about being over 18 to get social 18 to get social media accounts. media accounts. and more than a third and more than a third of those aged 8 to 15 say of those aged 8 to 15 say they are over 16. they are over 16. here's what pupils at here's what pupils at a school in glasgow — a school in glasgow — all of them under 16 — all of them under 16 — told the bbc. told the bbc. i put on my actual birthday, i put on my actual birthday, date and month but when it gets date and month but when it gets

to be here ijust scroll ten to be here ijust scroll ten years back. years back. to be here i “ust scroll ten years back._ to be here i “ust scroll ten ears back. �* ., ., , ., years back. i've got a younger brother or— years back. i've got a younger brother or system _ years back. i've got a younger brother or system and - years back. i've got a younger brother or system and if - brother or system and if something happens and you never know_ something happens and you never know about because you think that talking to someone their own— that talking to someone their own age _ that talking to someone their own age but they very much on. they— own age but they very much on. they dfm't— own age but they very much on. they don't ask for id or anything _ they don't ask for id or anything so _ they don't ask for id or anything so it's- they don't ask for id or anything so it's very . they don't ask for id or i anything so it's very easy they don't ask for id or - anything so it's very easy can be anything so it's very easy can he put — anything so it's very easy can be put around _ anything so it's very easy can be put around about - anything so it's very easy can be put around about and - anything so it's very easy can i be put around about and clicked on, be put around about and clicked on. that's— be put around about and clicked on. that's it _ be put around about and clicked on. that's it— on, that's it. that's the view from those _ on, that's it. that's the view from those involved - on, that's it. that's the view - from those involved themselves. meta — which owns instagram and facebook — says app stores should carry out age verification. but it says it's also rolling out tech designed to spot under 18s pretending to be adults. snapchat says teens with existing accounts aren't allowed to edit their profiles to appear older. it says it's exploring age verification solutions. tiktok says it's developing tools to verify age — but it already removes thousands of suspected underage accounts every day. x though did not

respond to the bbc. need

checked? we believe is we need to have external verification, it should be down to the social media platforms themselves to be verifying this. we need to be doing it in a different way. at the moment what we have is social media platforms marking at the moment what we have is social media platforms marking their own homework essentially, their own homework essentially, and regulating it themselves and regulating it themselves and regulating it themselves and that hasn't turned out very and regulating it themselves and that hasn't turned out very well and that is why we see all well and that is why we see all huge issues with social media huge issues with social media and mental health. while i and mental health. while i think it is a great step we all think it is a great step we all know we need to go a lot know we need to go a lot further and there's quite a few further and there's quite a few concerns about whether this is concerns about whether this is going to work and we are going going to work and we are going to make children's safety to make children's safety because how would be checked because how would be checked and policed?— and policed?— because how would be checked because how would be checked and policed? how is it policed? and policed? how is it policed? your organisation _ your organisation _ and policed? how is it policed? your organisation is _ and policed? how is it policed? and policed? how is it policed? your organisation is _ and policed? how is it policed? your organisation is all - and policed? how is it policed? your organisation is all about i your organisation is all about your organisation is all - and policed? how is it policed? your organisation is all about i your organisation is all about putting in greater barriers putting in greater barriers against children under the age, against children under the age, using the smart phones. what is using the smart phones. what is your argument on this? argument your argument on this? argument is children do _ is children do _ your argument on this? argument is children do not _ your argument on this? argument is children do not need _ is children do not need your argument on this? argument is children do not _ your argument on this? argument is children do not need _ is children do not need

smartphones. untilat have is smartphones. untilat is children do not need smartphones. until at least 1a. they need to be able to enjoy their childhood essentially without the pull of social media. the thing is we know the platforms are designed to be as addictive as possible to keep children scrolling and clicking as possible. the reason we think it is better to just delay the technology is because otherwise we rely on the tech companies being ethical and migratory regulating it and the way it is at the moment we don't think that will work. children don't need a smart phone and they one set of issues if they had simple phones. oursupercomputers, not phones. our supercomputers, not phones. oursupercomputers, not phones at all and they are in children's pockets all the time and what that means is they are giving children 24—hour access to the internet and they are also giving the whole internet 24/7 access to our children. we know at the moment content is not safe on there and they are

designed to be as addictive as possible. it isjust designed to be as addictive as possible. it is just not a fair fight. children with brands who are still developing against thousands of engineers in silicon valley trying to make them addicted. it's not fair and that is why we need to come together as parents and schools and dominant and say this is not right, we need to delay the aid children get smartphone. claire, thank you very much indeed for that. joining me now is linn frost is managing director at the social element, an agency that advises brands on their social media strategy. you were listening to those arguments. do you have sympathy with those who are trying to control how much exposure, negative exposure children particularly under the age of 14 but also talk of under 16 the negativity and impact is having on their lives, do you understand their arguments? for

me is understand their arguments? fr?" me is apparent i have 15—year—old twins. we want to do as parents is keep your children safe. the focus needs to be not necessarily on restricting an age range but making it safer for all. restricting an age range but making it saferfor all. the society it magnifies and we

making it saferfor all. the society it ma is fies and we making it saferfor all. the society it ma is it as and we making it saferfor all. the society it ma is it as a parents the content? is it the parents and the adults and the teachers or the children? who needs to be educated? i or the children? who needs to be educated?— be educated? i think it is very loud here _ itself and we need to make sure social is , , be educated? i think it is very loud here _ be educated? i think it is very loud here in _ be educated? i think it is very loud here in the _ be educated? i think it is very loud here in the sense - be educated? i think it is very loud here in _ be educated? i think it is very loud here in the _ be educated? i think it is very loud here in the sense - be educated? i think it is very loud here in the sense of- be educated? i think it is very| loud here in the sense of from a brown perspective i would be educated? i think it is very loud here in the sense of- be educated? i think it is very| loud here in the sense of from a brown perspective i would question, they should always be question, they should always be looking to be purposeful and looking to be purposeful and show up in the right way. show up in the right way. follow best practice and follow best practice and guidelines and i believe they guidelines and i believe they do and the brands we work with do and the brands we work with always will want to do that. i always will want to do that. i would say parents need to be would say parents need to be supported because the social and digital world is terrifying supported because the social and digital world is terrifying but i world is social and but i world is social and digital so we need to be digital so we need to be supporting with the tools and supporting with the tools and enabling us to support our enabling us to support our children and i think we need to children and i think we need to work with the children and work with the children and young people so that the wealth young people so that the wealth they are in our able to they are in our able to navigate it and are able to navigate it and are able to understand and keep themselves understand and keep themselves safe. i think there is, there safe. i think there is, there is not one solution to this and is not one solution to this and the focus needs to be on the the focus needs to be on the platforms and the environment platforms and the environment

itself and we need to make sure itself and we need to make sure social is it social is better for everybody. a lot of parents are listening to this and will be saying i want to hearan to this and will be saying i want to hear an actual method, i want to hear, you set a lot of brands are following and they should be following best practice. they should be following guidelines and some of them are, give me one of those guidelines because a lot of people don't know what these guidelines are. one guideline that does protect those honourable, those below those ages of 14 and 16? what are we talking about? it ages of14 and 16? what are we talking about?— talking about? it is making sure that if _ talking about? it is making sure that if you _ talking about? it is making sure that if you are, - talking about? it is making sure that if you are, if - talking about? it is making sure that if you are, if you | sure that if you are, if you have a product or a brand that is and at a younger person that is and at a younger person that is right for them and at the content they were putting out there is additive and supportive and making sure that if you are using influences that it if you are using influences thatitis if you are using influences that it is done in a safe and correct way. i think the issue here and i know the topic we are talking about is banning or making sure people cannot, that

they have the right access. we were talking about it is not surprising that teenagers are lying about their ages and having access. we need to make sure that we put, like instagram have done, we put restrictions in place and time

restrictit a; in place and time restrictit a growing r and time restrictit a growing sense me restrictit a growing sense of} economic and political crisis in europe. surveys on wednesday showed consumer confidence tumbling in germany — and also falling in france. germany is facing snap elections in the new year after the breakdown of its coalition government — amid a declining economy and the threat of majorjob cuts from the likes of vw. now france is raising concerns among investors — with fears its government could collapse over proposed tax rises and spending cuts. the problems are stacking up for eu chief, ursula von der leyen, as she heads into her second term. on wednesday the european parliament approved her top team — the european commission — which proposes laws, regulations and budgets for the bloc. she warned europe is facing tough times. it is critical because time is

pressing, facing significant political challenges, inside arguing in our neighbourhood and at our borders. we need to boost competitiveness and the impact of climate change is felt ever more strongly. i am very happy to be able to count on a strong and experienced team. that was ursula von der leyen as her second term was announced. jane foley is head of foreign exchange strategy at rabobank. thank you very much. lovely to see you thus. her intro, the growing unease in europe is going to be a challenge for ursula von der leyen. how about things? ursula von der leyen. how about thins? , ., , , things? things are pretty rave. things? things are pretty grave- it's _ things? things are pretty grave. it's good - things? things are pretty grave. it's good that - things? things are pretty i grave. it's good that ursula von der leyen is someone that we are familiar with, she said some consistent political leader for europe when you get germany's snap elections or france, it is not certain whether or not the prime minister will be in power even at christmas and of course there is the national strikes forecast or expected in italy

tomorrow. things are looking fairly grim we know germany's problems are structural stop of course the loss of that cheap energy supply from russia in 2022 with energy supply from russia i