The UK government is facing intensifying calls to impose stricter limits on social media access for children, prompting a formal consultation on whether to ban all under-16s from using the platforms. The move comes as ministers seek to address widespread parental concerns about online harms and addictive design.
Mounting Pressure Forces Government Action
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall announced the consultation on Monday, acknowledging that existing laws like the Online Safety Act were "never meant to be the end point". The decision follows significant pressure, including from within parliament. On Wednesday, peers are set to vote on an amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, tabled by Conservative peer Lord Nash, which would enforce a ban within a year of the bill passing.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has stated he is open to the idea but wishes to assess evidence from Australia, where a similar ban was enacted in December. Meanwhile, 61 Labour MPs have written to Starmer expressing support for a ban, and several Labour peers are expected to back Lord Nash's amendment.
Consultation Scope and Broader Measures
The government's consultation will explore several critical areas. It will examine the potential for introducing a formal social media age limit, how such a limit could be enforced in practice, and ways to stop technology firms from harvesting data from young users. It will also consider restricting addictive platform features like "infinite scrolling".
Alongside this digital focus, the government has reiterated its expectation that every school in England should operate under a default mobile phone ban. School inspectorate Ofsted will now include assessments of phone use in its regular reports.
Heartfelt Appeals from Bereaved Families
The political push gained profound emotional weight with the intervention of Esther Ghey, mother of the murdered teenager Brianna Ghey. In a detailed letter to the Prime Minister, Ghey explained how her daughter's eating disorder and self-harm were "significantly exacerbated" by harmful content on platforms like TikTok.
Brianna, who was killed in a brutal attack in Warrington, Cheshire in 2023, had developed a social media addiction from age 14. Her mother described constant fear about who Brianna was speaking to online and the girl's obsession with becoming "TikTok famous". Esther Ghey joined eight other sets of bereaved parents in calling for the government to back Lord Nash's amendment, arguing it sends an "unambiguous message" that social media is unsuitable for under-16s.
In response to these calls, Lord Nash criticised the government's consultation as insufficient, stating it "offers nothing" to the coalition of parents, professionals, and parliamentarians demanding action. He urged peers to support his amendment on Wednesday, warning that "the longer we delay, the more children we fail".
As the consultation begins, the government aims to balance the urgent demand for protection with a need for evidence-based policy, while campaigners argue the time for deliberation has passed and concrete action is needed immediately.
