London, 20 January (H.S.): The British government launched a public consultation on Monday to explore prohibiting social media access for individuals under 16, mirroring Australia's pioneering nationwide restriction enacted in December 2025, as concerns over youth mental health and online predation intensify.
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall announced that the review will solicit input from parents, adolescents, and civil society organizations to evaluate a potential ban's efficacy, alongside bolstering age-verification mandates and curbing algorithmic features that foster compulsive engagement on platforms.
Concurrently, Ofsted will gain expanded authority during school inspections to scrutinize mobile phone policies, enforcing a phone-free by default standard, while educators receive directives to abstain from personal device use in pupils' presence to model restraint.
The initiative responds to pressure from over 60 Labour MPs and high-profile advocates, including Esther Ghey, mother of murdered teenager Brianna Ghey, who contended in a letter that social media eroded her daughter's real-world connections despite her vulnerabilities.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch branded the consultation dither and delay, pledging her party would enact an immediate ban upon regaining power, while educators' unions like the NEU hailed it as a welcome shift against platforms profiting from children's distraction.
A House of Lords vote looms Wednesday on amendments to the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill, potentially including film-style age ratings for apps, amid scholarly caution from experts like Cambridge's Professor Amy Orben that evidence for bans remains inconclusive, advocating instead for refined safeguards and digital literacy.
The government anticipates responding by summer, building on the Online Safety Act's framework to shield minors from self-harm, pornography, and exploitative content without stifling beneficial online communities.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
