Dozens of Labour MPs pile pressure on Starmer over under-16s’ social media ban despite plea from tragic teen’s father
The Prime Minister today faced growing pressure from his own MPs to support banning under-16s from accessing social media, despite the objection of the father of a teenager who took his own life.
A total of 61 Labor MPs, led by Fred Thomas, have signed a letter to Sir Keir Starmer highlighting the ‘clear’ harm caused by ‘harmful, addictive’ content on the platforms.
Last week the Prime Minister said ‘all options are on the table’ regarding a possible ban that Australia introduced last month.
MPs, the majority of whom are members of the 2024 squad and who are also long-serving politicians such as Graham Stringer and Richard Burgon, stressed that ‘Denmark, France, Norway, New Zealand and Greece are expected to follow suit’ and that ‘the UK risks being left behind’.
It comes after Ian Russell, whose daughter Molly died when she was just 14, spoke out against the ban alongside 40 charities, campaigners and doctors.
They warned that the restrictions could lead vulnerable young people to unregulated internet spaces such as gaming platforms or darker sites such as suicide forums.
Mr Russell, whose daughter died in 2017, warned against an “ambition-driven, politically-driven, panic-driven” drive towards “hasty, non-evidence-based decisions”.
He called for better enforcement of existing laws rather than ‘sledgehammer techniques such as bans’.
MP Fred Thomas has published a letter signed by 61 Labor members supporting bans on under-16s from social media
MPs’ letter published by Mr Thomas yesterday afternoon, with a list of signatories (right)
But Mr Thomas, MP for Plymouth Moor View, who published a copy of the letter in X yesterday, said: ‘We all know the damage social media is doing to young people’s mental health.
‘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 obliges technology companies to block access to under-16s.’
MPs point to research showing more than 500 children a day are referred for anxiety treatment in England alone; As daily access to social media increases from zero to just five hours, depression rates double in boys and triple in girls.
They added: ‘The average 12-year-old now spends 29 hours a week on a smartphone, and much of this is spent on social media platforms full of harmful content.’
Banning under-16s from social media is backed by Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch and Health Minister Wes Streeting, who will also ban smartphones in schools.
Streeting’s potential Labor leadership rival, Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, also agrees with ‘much of what Kemi Badenoch has said’ about social media use.
Next week, members of the House of Lords are expected to vote on the ban under an amendment to the Children’s Welfare and Schools Bill tabled by former Tory education minister Lord Nash.
He is jointly backed by Liberal Democrat colleague and former children’s television presenter Baroness Benjamin, Labor peer Baroness Berger and paediatrician independent peer Baroness Cass.
Molly Russell’s father Ian fears ban will lead to ‘unintended consequences’ and calls for better regulation of social media platforms instead
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is facing growing pressure from within his own party to address concerns about the impact of social media on under-16s
But Mr Russell, chairman of the Molly Rose Foundation, a suicide prevention charity, said: ‘We now seem to be choosing this moment to make hasty, non-evidence-based decisions. And to me it’s ambition driven, politically driven, panic driven.’
Pressure from the government and regulator Ofcom could force tech giants to take action, Mr Russell said, citing Elon Musk’s crackdown on AI chatbot Grok creating sexualized deepfake images. Ofcom launched an investigation under the Online Safety Act.
The campaigning father said internet companies were ‘putting profit before security’ but the ban would have ‘unintended consequences’ and lead to ‘more problems’.
More than 40 charities, experts and bereaved parents, including the Molly Rose Foundation and the NSPCC, said in a statement: ‘While well-intentioned, blanket bans on social media will fail to improve the safety and welfare of children.’
Groups fear the ban could drive children to riskier sites, create a ‘cliff edge’ where young people as young as 16 would suddenly face online pressures without any prior experience, and leave lonely teenagers without a place to socialise.
The signatories, including child mental health practitioners, called for ‘broader and more targeted’ action to ensure ‘robust enforcement’ of existing law to ensure social media sites, personalized games and AI chatbots are not accessible to under-13s.
A 2022 inquest into Molly’s death found social media content contributed “more than minimally” to the tragedy.
NSPCC head of policy Anna Edmundson told BBC Breakfast on Sunday that social media could be ‘vital’ for children.
He said: ‘It’s also really important in terms of peer support and access to trusted sources of advice and help.’
Culture Minister Lisa Nandy, who met with Laura Keunssberg on Sunday, said: ‘There are strong arguments for banning under-16s from social media, but there are also real concerns raised by the NSPCC and others about whether this pushes children into darker, less regulated places on the internet.’
Reform England leader Nigel Farage said he believed Britain should delay the ban as part of a review of Australian measures.
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