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Social Media Ban for Under-16s
Edited by Peter Warrington, 2026-06-17 Speeches following the government's announcement of a ban on social media for children under 16.The UK government has announced plans to introduce a ban on social media for children under the age of 16, following the model recently proposed in Australia.
Key Quotes:
“As so many parents know, and as my Committee’s ongoing inquiry into digital childhood has highlighted, British children have been the subjects of a malign mass experiment designed purely to optimise corporate profits, resulting in horrifying—though largely unmeasured—harms at an individual and population level.” - Dame Chi Onwurah (Labour)
“Today’s announcement is not ‘one and done’, or the end of the story… This is a landmark day—a day when we stand with parents, charities, bereaved families, and all those who have campaigned for change. This is your moment. It is a day when we take power away from the tech giants, who have had countless opportunities to keep children safe, and put it in back in parents’ hands. It is a day when we give our children the freedom to be children again, so that they have the best possible start in life.” - Liz Kendall (Labour)
“Today the Prime Minister announced, as his shot at a legacy, something that six months ago he said he was personally opposed to—a ban on social media for under-16s. We can be grateful that he got there in the end, but the victory is not his… Above all, we must thank those parents who took the senseless tragedies that befell their families and turned their pain into a legacy that will benefit so many children.” - Julia Lopez (Conservative)
“In February 2023, Leo Johnson from Stourbridge died by suicide at the age of 19… He became increasingly absorbed in his phone and social media, and told his friends that it was affecting his mental health—not because of dangerous content, but through the drip, drip, drip of comparison culture, which left him feeling inadequate, anxious and numb.” - Cat Eccles (Labour)
“Children are growing up in the attention economy, where their focus is being sold. They deserve a Government who treat this as a seatbelt moment, not a press release for Makerfield [by-election].” - Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat)
“How do Ministers square granting 16-year-olds the solemn duty to vote, but not the power to have a cheeky night-time scroll on Instagram?” - Julia Lopez (Conservative)
“Can the Secretary of State confirm that all the enforcement will be against the platforms and the companies, and not against parents? As she knows, screens are a major source of conflict in the home at present, and we do not want to start thermonuclear war in homes up and down the land.” - Kit Malthouse (Conservative)
“Kids will get around this. Kids have always got around smoking and drinking—we have all done it. Maybe not! That is what kids do.” - Liz Kendall (Labour)
“I am concerned about young LGBT people growing up in often unsupportive environments, who can find support online from others in similar circumstances—I know from personal experience how valuable that can be.” - Sam Carling (Labour)
“This is a wake-up call for the companies: ‘You had your chance. You didn’t fulfil your existing obligations under the law. Enough.’ … We stood up to Grok, X and Elon Musk, saying, ‘Enough is enough.’ We are now drawing a line in the sand now, too.” - Liz Kendall (Labour)
House of Commons Social Media Ban Debate - June 15th 2026
The House of Commons met on Monday 15th June 2026 to hear a statement from the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, Liz Kendall (Labour):
Today marks a defining moment for our children, and for future generations, as we lay the foundations of a new settlement for the online world. … I can confirm that we will ban social media companies from providing their services to under-16s. … Today’s announcement is not ‘one and done’, or the end of the story. There is still much more to do, but this is a landmark day—a day when we stand with parents, charities, bereaved families, and all those who have campaigned for change. This is your moment. It is a day when we take power away from the tech giants, who have had countless opportunities to keep children safe, and put it in back in parents’ hands. It is a day when we give our children the freedom to be children again, so that they have the best possible start in life.
The Shadow Secretary of State, Julia Lopez (Conservative) was the first to respond to the statement:
Today the Prime Minister announced, as his shot at a legacy, something that six months ago he said he was personally opposed to—a ban on social media for under-16s. We can be grateful that he got there in the end, but the victory is not his. … Above all, we must thank those parents who took the senseless tragedies that befell their families and turned their pain into a legacy that will benefit so many children. … How do Ministers square granting 16-year-olds the solemn duty to vote, but not the power to have a cheeky night-time scroll on Instagram?
As is custom, the Chair of the relevant Select Committee, Chair of the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee, Dame Chi Onwurah (Labour), was called next to question the Secretary of State:
As so many parents know, and as my Committee’s ongoing inquiry into digital childhood has highlighted, British children have been the subjects of a malign mass experiment designed purely to optimise corporate profits, resulting in horrifying—though largely unmeasured—harms at an individual and population level. Successive Governments have been too ignorant, too ideological, or too in hock to big tech to act, so the Secretary of State is to be congratulated on taking action. …
Representing the Liberal Democrats, spokesperson Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat) pushed for a harms-based regulatory approach:
On behalf of children and parents across the country, we welcome the Government finally taking action to keep children safe online. … Children are growing up in the attention economy, where their focus is being sold. They deserve a Government who treat this as a seatbelt moment, not a press release for Makerfield [by-election].
Former Minister Kit Malthouse (Conservative) sought clarity on domestic enforcement:
… Can the Secretary of State confirm that all the enforcement will be against the platforms and the companies, and not against parents? As she knows, screens are a major source of conflict in the home at present, and we do not want to start thermonuclear war in homes up and down the land.
Sam Carling (Labour) raised concerns regarding the ban’s impact on vulnerable groups:
The Secretary of State knows that I have concerns about the enforceability of a platform-based ban, but I welcome the news about tackling infinite scrolling … I am concerned about young LGBT people growing up in often unsupportive environments, who can find support online from others in similar circumstances—I know from personal experience how valuable that can be.
Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat) questioned the exact nature of the restriction:
I wonder whether the Secretary of State could provide clarification. … Will she clarify whether she is banning children from accessing accounts or from those websites altogether?
Liz Kendall (Labour) responded:
We will bring in highly effective age-verification measures, because we want to ensure that we learn the lessons from what has happened in Australia. … Kids will get around this. Kids have always got around smoking and drinking—we have all done it. Maybe not! That is what kids do.
Iqbal Mohamed (Independent) questioned how the government would hold large tech companies accountable:
… What will the Government do to introduce and enforce regulation so that the platforms, and the services and features they provide, are safe for all?
Liz Kendall (Labour) responded:
This is a wake-up call for the companies: ‘You had your chance. You didn’t fulfil your existing obligations under the law. Enough.’ … We stood up to Grok, X and Elon Musk, saying, ‘Enough is enough.’ We are now drawing a line in the sand now, too.
Finally, Cat Eccles (Labour) shared a tragic constituency story to highlight the real-world impact of social media:
In February 2023, Leo Johnson from Stourbridge died by suicide at the age of 19. … He became increasingly absorbed in his phone and social media, and told his friends that it was affecting his mental health—not because of dangerous content, but through the drip, drip, drip of comparison culture, which left him feeling inadequate, anxious and numb. Does the Secretary of State agree that a ban is the right thing to do, so that fewer young people like Leo are harmed?