A proposal to ban children under the age of 16 from using social media has been backed by the House of Lords, amid growing concern about the impact of online platforms on young people.
Campaigners in favour of the move include the actor Hugh Grant, while supporters of the policy have argued that parents are being placed in “an impossible position” as they try to protect children from online harms.
The proposal mirrors legislation introduced in Australia and comes as the government launches a three-month consultation into children’s use of social media.
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said the review would examine the potential benefits and drawbacks of a ban, as well as alternative measures such as overnight curfews and steps to reduce so-called “doom-scrolling”. The consultation is expected to report back in the summer.
However, the former schools minister Lord Nash criticised the process, arguing it would only delay action.
Speaking in the Lords, the Conservative peer said the evidence in favour of a ban was “overwhelming”, claiming it was supported by “medical professionals, our police and national intelligence community, teachers and hundreds of thousands of parents”.
Peers voted by 261 to 150 in favour of Lord Nash’s amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, giving it a majority of 111.
The government could attempt to remove the amendment when the bill returns to the House of Commons. However, most Labour MPs are understood to support a ban, raising the prospect of a rebellion if ministers seek to overturn it.
