Members of the UK Parliament have rejected a proposal to ban social media use for children under 16, voting instead to support more flexible government powers to regulate online platforms as reported by the BBC
Lawmakers in the House of Commons voted 307 to 173 against an amendment backed by the House of Lords that would have introduced an Australia-style ban on platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat for younger teenagers.
Education Minister Olivia Bailey urged MPs to reject a blanket ban, saying the government wanted the ability to impose targeted restrictions rather than a full prohibition.
She said new proposals would allow the government to restrict children’s access to certain platforms or limit harmful features such as autoplay and other addictive tools.
Under the plan, Science Secretary Liz Kendall would be given powers to restrict social media access for certain age groups, limit specific features, and potentially regulate tools such as virtual private networks used to bypass restrictions.
Some opposition politicians and campaigners had called for stricter action, arguing social media poses risks to young people.
But ministers said a consultation will now examine the best approach to protecting children online while avoiding unintended consequences.