MPs have voted against proposals to ban children under the age of 16 from accessing social media platforms, rejecting a move that had previously gained support in the House of Lords.
The amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill was defeated in the House of Commons on Monday 9 March by 307 votes to 173, despite growing political and public debate over the impact of social media on young people.
The proposal, introduced by former Conservative minister Lord Nash in the Lords, would have prevented under-16s from accessing platforms such as Instagram and TikTok. The idea has gained international momentum after Australia became the first country to introduce a nationwide ban in December, prompting several European nations to consider similar measures.
Lord Nash has vowed to continue pressing the issue, insisting there is “huge demand across the country to raise the age limit and protect children”.
During the Commons debate, shadow education secretary Laura Trott described the situation as an “emergency”, citing polling which suggested 40 per cent of children are exposed to explicit content on smartphones during the school day.
“No more guidance, no more consultations. Legislate, do something about it,” she urged MPs.
The Government, however, stopped short of backing an outright ban. Education minister Olivia Bailey warned that prohibiting social media use entirely for under-16s could push young people towards “less regulated corners of the internet” or leave them “unprepared” to navigate the online world safely.
Instead, ministers announced plans to launch a consultation exploring potential restrictions, a move that has drawn criticism from opposition parties.
The Liberal Democrats accused Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer of “dither and delay”, saying families needed “concrete assurances now” rather than further reviews.
Although the proposed ban was rejected, MPs did approve new powers for technology secretary Liz Kendall to introduce restrictions in the future. These could include limiting children’s use of VPNs and curbing addictive features such as autoplay videos on social media platforms.
The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill will now return to the House of Lords for further scrutiny. It must be agreed by both Houses before it can become law.
