The government is reportedly open to the idea of banning social media for under-16s and is watching how Australia’s prohibition plays out.
Australia barred children under the age of 16 from having social media accounts last month.
Facebook, Instagram, Kick, Reddit, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X, YouTube and Twitch face fines of up to £24.7 million if they fail to take reasonable steps to remove such accounts.
Technology secretary Liz Kendall is understood to be open-minded about the idea of introducing a similar measure in the UK, but no decision has yet been taken.
While no timetable has been set down for any decision, it will be made in months rather than years, according to The i Paper.
The newspaper reports that Kendall is mindful of the views of internet safety organisations like the Molly Rose Foundation, who say an Australia-style ban is ‘flawed’ and would see threats merely migrate to gaming platforms, and the NSPCC, who said a blanket ban would be ‘a blunt approach to a complex problem’.
However, there is widespread support for the prohibition, including across Westminster.
Kemi Badenoch has said the Conservative Party would ban under-16s from accessing social media platforms if it were in power.
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The Tory leader told the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme that platforms were profiting from children’s ‘anxiety’ and ‘distraction’ and were ‘designed to be addictive’.
She added: ‘The internet is a wild west, social media in particular. We don’t think children should be on there, and we want the industry to see the direction of travel so that we can start working with them now in order to get the proper solutions in place.’
After her interview, Andy Burnham, the Labour mayor of Greater Manchester, wrote on X: ‘I find myself agreeing with a lot of what Kemi Badenoch is saying about children and social media. It seems to me parents would welcome a cross-party consensus around much bolder action.’
Teachers’ union NASUWT has also called for the ban to improve learning.
NASUWT general secretary Matt Wrack said: ‘Teachers are dealing every day with the fallout of a social media landscape not originally designed and not suitable for children.
‘Social media companies have shown time and again that they will not act responsibly unless they are forced to do so.
‘If we are serious about safeguarding children, protecting their mental health and combating the behaviour crisis in our schools, then a statutory ban for under‑16s must happen urgently.’
The chief of schools watchdog Ofsted raised concerns at the end of last year that social media is ‘chipping away’ at children’s attention spans and promoting disrespectful behaviour.
NASUWT surveyed 5,800 teacher members in 2025 and found about four in five (81%) reported an increase in the number of pupils exhibiting violent and abusive behaviour.
Nearly three in five (59%) of respondents to the same survey said they believed social media was one of the driving factors behind deteriorating behaviour.
In a separate poll of 300 members, NASUWT found 89% said they would support a statutory social media ban for under-16s.
Speaking at the weekend, culture secretary Lisa Nandy said the government will be keeping a ‘close eye’ on Australia’s ban.
After initially suggesting it would not be a good idea because of concerns over ‘enforceability’, she said it could be considered if the Australian policy works and is trusted by young people.
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