A coalition of 60 members of the Labour Party have written directly to the Prime Minister, pressing him to champion a potential ban on social media access for under-16s, ahead of a key vote in the House of Lords this week.
Broad Pressure Mounts
The lawmakers, including select committee chairs, past shadow ministers and members from the entire Labour spectrum, are aiming to ramp up pressure on the prime minister. This follows growing calls for the UK to adopt a similar policy of Australia, which introduced a comparable prohibition in December.
While Starmer has said he remains considering the policy, legislators within the House of Lords are attempting to bring the matter to a head via an amendment to the current schools bill. This amendment would require the implementation of a prohibition one year of the bill becoming law.
“Throughout the communities we represent, we encounter the same concerns: children are stressed and sad, and finding it hard to focus on learning. They are failing to develop the necessary skills needed to succeed.”
Global Precedent
The letter, which was organised by Labour MP Fred Thomas, adds that “Around the world, governments are acknowledging the seriousness of this crisis and taking action.” It notes existing or pending legislation in nations like Denmark, France, Norway, New Zealand and Greece.
“We believe the responsibility must be shifted to technology platforms, not parents, to block underage access,” the MPs argue. “We would back a system akin to Australia’s that obligates companies to take meaningful steps to enforce age limits.”
Implementation Concerns
This weight of parliamentary backing in the Commons increases further pressure on the Prime Minister. Although he has previously expressed scepticism about the practicality of a ban, he recently informed MPs he was theoretically open to the proposal.
Nevertheless, over the past few days, officials have emphasised concerns that a ban could push children toward less-regulated online spaces. They have insisted on the need to gather more data from the Australian experiment before committing to a UK version.
“Theoretically, Keir is supportive of a ban. We can all see the harms and are concerned about what is happening to children and teenagers,” commented an insider. “But there are still significant hurdles to overcome with putting it into practice. We need to proceed carefully and make sure we implement it correctly.”
Upcoming Vote
The Prime Minister's position will face a key test this week when lords vote on the proposed change by Conservative peer John Nash. This amendment to the legislation proposes enacting an age limit within a year the bill's passage.
While the Labour leadership has not stated its official position on the amendment, several Labour peers are anticipated to support it regardless of any guidance from party managers.
Among them is ex-parliamentarian Luciana Berger, who has supported Lord Nash's amendment. She commented: “The idea for raising the social media age limit has widespread backing – nationally and across the Labour party. Social media is profoundly hurting children and we must move swiftly to safeguard them.”
