Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has announced that her party would ban under-16s from social media if it wins the next general election. The Tory leader unveiled the policy today during an interview on the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg show, arguing that platforms are «designed to be addictive» and profit from children's anxiety.
Badenoch told the BBC: «What we are seeing is a lot of children spending so many hours a day on platforms that are profiting from their anxiety, from their distraction, and they are actually designed to be addictive.» She framed the proposed ban as offering «common sense, protection for children and freedom for adults», adding that parents need to know «the Government understands what they're going through».
The announcement follows Australia's world-first ban on social media for under-16s, which came into force in December. Under the Australian legislation, platforms including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X and YouTube face fines up to 49.5 million Australian dollars (£24.7 million) if they fail to prevent children from accessing their services.
Cross-party support emerges
Labour's Andy Burnham, the Greater Manchester mayor, backed Badenoch's stance in a post on X today. «I find myself agreeing with a lot of what Kemi Badenoch is saying about children and social media,» Burnham wrote. «It seems to me parents would welcome a cross-party consensus around much bolder action.»
The teachers' union NASUWT separately called for urgent legislation, citing survey data showing 81 per cent of 5,800 teacher members reported increased violent and abusive pupil behavior, with 59 per cent linking social media to deteriorating behavior. A separate poll of 300 members found 89 per cent supported a statutory ban.
NASUWT general secretary Matt Wrack said: «Teachers are dealing every day with the fallout of a social media landscape not originally designed and not suitable for children.» He added: «If we are serious about safeguarding children, protecting their mental health and combating the behaviour crisis in our schools, then a statutory ban for under‑16s must happen urgently.»
Government signals caution
The Labour government indicated it has no immediate plans for similar measures. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander told the BBC: «We are going to review the situation in Australia and how that works. Obviously we had the world-leading Online Safety Act come in last year.»
Alexander emphasized existing protections under the Online Safety Act, which includes strict age verification rules and restrictions on harmful content related to suicide and self-harm. She stressed the need for balance: «We've got to get the balance right here, making sure that young people are safe online as well as offline. But that they can also enjoy what's great about the digital world.»
A government spokesperson said the vast majority of schools already restrict phone use during the school day, adding: «Through the Online Safety Act, we have taken some of the boldest steps anywhere in the world to ensure children have age-appropriate experiences online, mandating that social media companies protect under-18s from harmful content.»
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
