The House of Lords has voted to support a ban on social media for under-16s, intensifying pressure on the government to follow Australia’s lead on online child safety.
The amendment, tabled by former schools minister Lord Nash, was added to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill despite ministers urging caution.
Key developments
• Peers backed the amendment 261–150, a majority of 111.
• Liz Kendall, the Technology Secretary, has launched a three-month consultation on a potential ban, overnight curfews, and measures to curb “doom-scrolling”.
• Lord Nash argued evidence for a ban is “overwhelming”, citing support from medical professionals, police, teachers and parents.
Campaigners point to Australia, which introduced an under-16 ban in December 2025, covering major platforms including TikTok, Instagram, X, YouTube and Twitch.
The government says most UK secondary schools already restrict phone use, but enforcement and consistency remain contested.
ℹ️ ITV
Follow on social media TikTok@tut0ughInstagram@tut0ugh Threads@tut0ugh X@tut0ugh YouTube@tut0ugh
tut0ugh 