A grieving mother has issued a heartfelt plea for the government to implement a social media ban for children under 16, as peers prepare for another showdown in the House of Lords on Monday. Conservative peer Lord Nash is set to lead a fresh effort to compel ministers to commit to an Australia-style prohibition within a year, following the rejection of a similar proposal by MPs less than two weeks ago.
Government's Three-Year Plan Faces Opposition
Ministers tabled an amendment on Friday that would commit to action within three years, a move understood to be designed as a safety net to prevent a future government from derailing the plans. However, Lord Nash has urged peers to reject this approach and instead back his own amendment, which would enshrine a commitment to raise the age to 16 in the bill. The dispute threatens to delay the passage of the flagship Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill before Parliament rises this week.
Bereaved Mother Speaks Out
Ellen Roome, who believes her 14-year-old son Jools died after a social media challenge went wrong, voiced her frustration. “How many more children will be harmed every day by the catastrophic effects of social media? How many more children will we lose while the Prime Minister gives himself the option of doing almost nothing?” she asked. “How does any of this square with the language we were given – that it would be months, not years before action?”
The government has not supported the amendments, as it is currently consulting on a range of online safety measures, including a potential social media ban, curbing addictive features on apps, and overnight curfews. Prime Minister Keir Starmer told the Mirror last month that he was “open minded” on the idea of a ban but was absolutely committed to tackling the “social media wild west.”
Lord Nash's Determination
Lord Nash, a former schools minister, stated: “This week, Parliament has a final chance to reject the Government's shamefully inadequate approach and vote for my amendment, which would put a commitment to raising the age to 16 on the face of the Bill. As this Bill reaches its final stages, let no one be in any doubt: I will not stop until we have that commitment.”
International Context and Public Opinion
Australia restricted access for under-16s at the end of last year, while other European countries, including Spain and Greece, have similar plans. Research by Opinium recently showed that more than seven in 10 (72%) British parents want under-16s to be blocked from having social media accounts. However, not all bereaved parents and online safety charities support the idea. Ian Russell, whose 14-year-old daughter Molly took her own life in 2017 after being inundated with harmful content, has argued that it would be better to enforce existing laws.
Government Response
A government spokesperson said: “We've been clear that we will take action to make sure children have a healthy relationship with social media. This isn’t a question of whether, but how we will act. This is a complex issue with no overall consensus. That's why we have launched a consultation looking at everything from age limits and safer design features to a social media ban, as well as pilots with hundreds of UK families, to ensure we take the best approach, based on the latest evidence. We know parents and children want us to act fast, and through the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill we have taken new legal powers to do exactly that - so we can move quickly once the consultation concludes.”
