UK Considers Social Media Ban for Under-16s

The UK government has launched a consultation on whether to ban social media for under-16s, stepping up efforts it says are meant to “protect young people's wellbeing” as pressure grows from MPs, parents and campaigners.

The move follows Australia’s decision to introduce the world’s first nationwide social media ban for under-16s in December, and ministers say they want to examine whether a similar approach could work in Britain. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said children today risk being drawn into “a world of endless scrolling, anxiety and comparison,” adding that “no option is off the table”.

The consultation, which will run for three months, will ask parents, young people and civil society groups for their views. It will explore raising the digital age of consent, tightening age checks, and limiting design features such as infinite scrolling and streaks that critics say encourage compulsive use.

Technology Secretary Liz Kendall told MPs the Online Safety Act was “never meant to be the end point” and said parents still have serious concerns. “We are determined to ensure technology enriches children's lives, not harms them - and to give every child the childhood they deserve,” she said.

Alongside the consultation, the government plans to give Ofsted powers to scrutinise how schools manage phone use, with ministers saying they expect schools to be “phone-free by default”. New screen-time guidance for parents of children aged five to 16 is also promised, with advice for under-fives due to be released later this year. School leaders have broadly welcomed the focus on online harms but pushed back on Ofsted’s role. Paul Whiteman of the NAHT said it was “deeply unhelpful and misguided” to suggest inspectors should be “policing” phone rules.

Support for tougher action has been building in Parliament. More than 60 Labour MPs have backed a ban, while Esther Ghey, whose daughter Brianna was murdered in 2023, has urged ministers to act. “Some argue that vulnerable children need access to social media to find their community,” she wrote. “As the parent of an extremely vulnerable and trans child, I strongly disagree.” She added: “In Brianna's case, social media limited her ability to engage in real-world social interactions. She had real friends, but she chose to live online instead.”

But the idea remains divisive. Some researchers say there is still limited evidence that age-based bans work. Professor Amy Orben of Cambridge said more needs to be done to protect children online, but warned there was “not strong evidence” that outright bans are effective. Dr Holly Bear of Oxford University said the evidence was “still unfolding” and called for a balanced approach that also tackles harmful algorithms and boosts digital literacy.

Major children’s charities including the NSPCC and Childnet have argued a ban would be the “wrong solution”, warning it could give families a false sense of safety and push risks elsewhere online.

Political arguments are also intensifying. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said Labour’s consultation was “more dither and delay”, insisting her party would bring in a ban if it returned to power. Liberal Democrats said the government risked “kicking the can down the road”.

Ministers are expected to visit Australia as part of the review, where platforms face heavy fines if they fail to block under-16s. The government says it will respond to the consultation in the summer, as the House of Lords prepares to vote on amendments that could force action sooner.