UK House of Commons rejects total social media ban for under-16s

The UK House of Commons has rejected an amendment to the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill that would have enforced a blanket ban on social media for children under 16. The proposal, which drew inspiration from recent Australian legislation, was defeated on Monday by a vote of 307 to 173. Although the House of Lords had previously backed the amendment in January, with support from figures like actor Hugh Grant, the Labour government urged MPs to oppose it. Education Minister Olivia Bailey argued that a total ban could inadvertently drive children toward less regulated and more dangerous areas of the internet. Instead, the government is initiating a consultation to explore more flexible regulatory measures, such as imposing age limits and disabling addictive platform features. Critics, including the Liberal Democrats and Conservative shadow minister Laura Trott, expressed concerns about the lack of urgent action, noting high rates of exposure to harmful content. Supporters of a ban emphasized the need for strict protections, while organizations like the NSPCC warned that such a policy could leave teenagers unprepared for future online risks. A YouGov poll from December indicated that 74% of the British public supports a ban for those under 16.