Tories would ban under-16s from social media

"The Conservatives say they would ban under-16s from accessing social media platforms if they were in power, promising to follow the example of Australia, which was the first country to introduce the policy. Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said if her party was in government, smartphones would also be banned in schools. It has been a month since Australia's ban on under-16s using major social media platforms came into force. The Conservatives say that if elected, they would follow suit to try to protect children's mental health and education, and to stop them from viewing harmful content online."

"Since July last year, platforms have been required to prevent young people from encountering harmful content relating to suicide, self-harm, eating disorders and pornography under the Online Safety Act. Enforced by Ofcom, the media regulator, platforms that do not comply with the legislation risk fines, jail time or, in very serious cases, a ban in the UK."

"This spring, the government is expected to issue guidance to parents around how long children under the age of five should spend watching TV or looking at computer screens. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said around 98% of children were watching screens on a daily basis by the age of two, with research suggesting that higher screen use in this age group was linked to poorer language development."

Conservatives propose banning under-16s from major social media platforms and would ban smartphones in schools. The proposal follows Australia's recent under-16 social media ban and seeks age verification on platforms such as TikTok and Snapchat. The policy scope would be kept under review and is presented as protecting children's mental health and education while preserving adult choice. The NASUWT teachers' union has also called for a similar ban. Existing UK law already requires platforms to limit harmful content to young people under the Online Safety Act, with Ofcom enforcement and penalties for non-compliance. The government will issue screen-time guidance for under-fives amid concerns about language development.

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