U.K. upper house approves social media ban for under-16s

FILE: A young girl looks at a smartphone while lying in bed. (Kampus Production via Pexels)

Britain’s upper house of parliament voted Wednesday in favour of banning under‑16s from using social media, raising pressure on the government to match a similar ban passed in Australia.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Monday he was not ruling out any options and pledged action to protect children, but his government wants to wait for the results of a consultation due this summer before legislating.

Calls have risen across the opposition and within the governing Labour party for the U.K. to follow Australia, where under‑16s have been barred from social media applications since December 10.

The amendment from opposition Conservative lawmaker John Nash passed with 261 votes to 150 in the House of Lords, co‑sponsored by a Labour and a Liberal Democrat peer.

“Tonight, peers put our children’s future first,” Nash said. “This vote begins the process of stopping the catastrophic harm that social media is inflicting on a generation.”

Before the vote, Downing Street said the government would not accept the amendment, which now goes to the Labour-controlled lower House of Commons. More than 60 Labour MPs have urged Starmer to back a ban.

Public figures including actor Hugh Grant urged the government to back the proposal, saying parents alone cannot counter social media harms.

Some child-protection groups warn a ban would create a false sense of security.

A YouGov poll in December found 74 percent of Britons supported a ban. The Online Safety Act requires secure age‑verification for harmful content.