Peers have backed proposals to ban social media for under-16s in a last-ditch attempt before Parliament shuts down ahead of next month's King's Speech. Despite an amendment to the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill being rejected three times by MPs, peers voted by 316 to 165 - a majority of 151 - for the measure as the stand-off continues.
Former Tory schools minister Lord Nash, who has been campaigning for the age limit, said peers had a 'final chance' to back it. MPs will be given the opportunity to vote on the amendment again when it next returns to the Commons - as part of a process known as parliamentary ping-pong. But it is set to be rejected again for a fourth time with Keir Starmer instead consulting on a raft of online safety measures, including a possible Australia-style ban for under-16s.
Education minister Olivia Bailey has said a planned consultation is the way forward before any plan to tackle social media-linked harms is implemented. It is expected to conclude in the summer and will decide on whether an outright ban on social media for under-16s is the best way forward.
But tonight's vote will pile further pressure on Mr Starmer to act more urgently on the issue after Australia ushered in a ban in December. Separately, Esther Ghey, the mother of murdered teenager Brianna Ghey, said she was 'a little bit devastated' in a letter to the PM that he had met social media chiefs before her and other bereaved families.
Asked on BBC Breakfast on Monday how she felt when she heard the PM had met senior leaders from TikTok, X, Meta, and other social media giants earlier in April, Ms Ghey said: 'Honestly, I was a little bit devastated I suppose. I thought that we would hopefully be the ones that will be able to meet first, to share our stories and our children's.'
Ms Ghey and other campaigners, including Ellen Roome, who believes her 14-year-old son Jools died while attempting an online challenge, sent an open letter to the Prime Minister on Sunday. They wrote: 'We were incredibly disappointed to learn that you invited social media companies to discuss this issue prior to meeting with families like ours. While we understand the importance of engaging with industry, it is of equal importance that you hear directly from those who have experienced the devastating consequences associated with online platforms.'
