MPs have voted against a ban on social media for under-16s for the second time, defeating a Lords amendment to the children’s wellbeing and schools bill by 256 to 150. The amendment, tabled by Conservative peer Lord Nash, would have imposed a default ban and given ministers 12 months to decide which platforms to restrict.
The government instead plans to pursue its own consultation on an under-16s ban and other measures to tackle online harms, which closes next month. Early education minister Olivia Bailey said the consultation allows consideration of a wider range of services and features, and that it is crucial not to pre-empt its outcome.
Conservative shadow education secretary Laura Trott said she would continue to fight for a ban on social media to be included in the bill. The vote was part of the parliamentary “ping-pong” process to agree the final wording of the legislation.
The government consultation is also examining ways to address the addictive nature of social media, including restricting features like infinite scrolling. Prime Minister Keir Starmer is due to meet leaders from TikTok, X, YouTube, Snapchat, and Meta to demand faster progress on internet safety.
Esther Ghey, mother of murdered teenager Brianna Ghey, criticised the consultation as a delay, saying social media is addictive and harms young people. Andy Burrows of the Molly Rose Foundation argued that the solution is not a ban but stronger regulation under the Online Safety Act.
