LONDON: British MPs struck down proposals for a blanket ban on social media for children under 16, as the government backed a separate consultation on measures to protect young people online.
The Australia-style ban was part of a bill which passed in the UK’s upper house of parliament, known as the House of Lords, in January.
It failed to secure enough votes in the House of Commons late Monday, after the government opposed it in favour of a consultation due in summer.
However, more than 100 of the 404 Labour MPs abstained, as calls to restrict children’s access to social media grow among politicians and the public.
A YouGov poll in December found 74% of Britons supported a ban.
Olivia Bailey, an education minister in the Labour government, urged more flexible measures, noting a “blanket ban could drive children towards less regulated corners of the internet”.
Bailey also warned it could “leave teenagers unprepared when they do come online”.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has not ruled out a ban and said the consultation will consider measures including age restrictions and banning addictive features like scrolling.
British public figures including actor Hugh Grant had urged the government to back the proposal, saying parents alone cannot counter social media harms.
Education spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats party, Munira Wilson, accused the government of “dither and delay” on the matter.
In December, Australia became the first nation to prohibit people under the age of 16 from using immensely popular and profitable social media platforms.
Meanwhile, the UK government held a roundtable with social media companies, including Snapchat, TikTok, Meta and YouTube, on implementing measures to protect women and girls online.
Technology secretary Liz Kendall said she had asked media watchdog Ofcom for a report on the platforms’ compliance with the measures.
