Dozens of Labour MPs sign letter urging Australia-style social media ban for under-16s
More than 60 Labor MPs have signed an open letter urging the prime minister to support an Australian-style social media ban on under-16s.
The letter, understood to be written by Plymouth Moor View MP Fred Thomas, calls on the government to take action to “protect young people from the consequences of unregulated, addictive social media platforms”.
Sir Keir Starmer is being asked to impose a blanket ban on social media platforms for children under 16. The calls are made in accordance with Australia’s law, which came into force in December.
“We hear the same message across our constituencies: children are anxious, unhappy and unable to focus on learning,” it reads. “They don’t develop the social skills needed to thrive or have the experience that will prepare them for adulthood.”
The letter, signed by education select committee chair Helen Hayes, former whip Vicky Foxcroft and former education secretary Catherine McKinnell, along with dozens of supporters, says Britain risks being “left behind” if it does not act.
MPs said they believed the government should place responsibility for preventing minors from accessing platforms on tech companies rather than parents.
“We all know the damage social media does to young people’s mental health,” Mr. Thomas wrote in a post on X, along with images of the letter.
“The Labor Government has taken action in recent months. Today, 61 Labor MPs wrote to the Prime Minister urging him to go further. We support an Australian-style model that puts the onus on tech companies to deny access to under-16s.”
Last week, Sir Keir Starmer said “all options are on the table” regarding the possibility of an Australian-style social media ban during his visit to Scotland.
“We need to better protect children from social media,” he said. “We’re looking at what’s happening in Australia, but all options are on the table to see if we can put more protection in place on social media, whether it’s under 16 or not.”
The letter states that public support for the measures is “strong” and that young people are also aware of the potential harm social media can cause.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has previously said her party would impose a ban on under-16s if it wins the next election.
But some leading online safety and children’s charities opposed the ban, warning it would be the “wrong solution”.
In a letter published on Saturday, the NSPCC, Childnet and suicide prevention charity the Molly Rose Foundation said they believed a blanket ban would “create a false sense of security” that would prompt children and predators to move to other, less regulated corners of the internet.
