The House of Lords has backed a cross-party push to ban social media for children under 16, handing the Government a crushing defeat by 261 votes to 150. The result forces MPs in the Commons to consider the ban, despite Technology Secretary Liz Kendall announcing a three-month consultation on the issue just hours earlier.
Tory former schools minister Lord Nash spearheaded the amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. He told the upper chamber that the Government’s consultation was «unnecessary, misconceived and clearly a last-minute attempt to kick this can down below the road». He warned that teenagers are spending «five, six, seven or more a day» hours on social media, causing widespread damage to health, cognitive ability, educational attainment, and economic producti…
The House of Lords has backed a cross-party push to ban social media for children under 16, handing the Government a crushing defeat by 261 votes to 150. The result forces MPs in the Commons to consider the ban, despite Technology Secretary Liz Kendall announcing a three-month consultation on the issue just hours earlier.
Tory former schools minister Lord Nash spearheaded the amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. He told the upper chamber that the Government’s consultation was «unnecessary, misconceived and clearly a last-minute attempt to kick this can down below the road». He warned that teenagers are spending «five, six, seven or more a day» hours on social media, causing widespread damage to health, cognitive ability, educational attainment, and economic productivity.
Growing pressure for action
The vote came after actor Hugh Grant, bereaved mother Esther Ghey, and other campaigners sent a letter to party leaders warning that children are being served extreme content without seeking it out. Organisations Parentkind and Mumsnet backed the letter. Ms Ghey’s 16-year-old daughter Brianna was murdered in 2023, and she had previously spoken about her daughter’s «social media addiction».
Lord Nash argued that evidence from around the world now proves causation, not just correlation. «This is going to happen. The only question is when,» he told peers. «We must act now.»
Fierce criticism of consultation
Paediatrician Baroness Cass, an independent crossbencher, said the Government’s first duty was not to consult but to act. «If we think children may be in danger, we act first and we ask questions later,» she told the chamber.
Filmmaker and children’s rights campaigner Baroness Kidron was even sharper. She warned that «a consultation is the playground of the tech lobbyist and inaction is the most powerful tool in politics». The Government, she said, «has shown it will only act under pressure, not principle».
Baroness Bertin, a Tory peer who led an independent review of pornography, described social media firms’ business model as «sort-of borderline criminal, but certainly very toxic and it is so sophisticated». She added: «They have already made off like bandits with our children’s innocence.»
Warnings against blanket ban
Not all peers supported the move. Liberal Democrat Lord Clement-Jones warned of «risks protecting children in a sterile digital environment until their 16th birthday, then suddenly flooding them with harmful content without having developed a digital literacy to cope».
However, Tory shadow education minister Baroness Barran dismissed calls for more consultation. «We don’t need another national conversation. The nation has spoken very clearly about its level of concern,» she said. «We owe it to our children to act now and protect their childhood.»
Government response
Education minister Baroness Smith of Malvern responded by acknowledging that «many in this House and the other place have concerns around children’s online safety». She promised the Government was «prepared to act to deal with them», and pledged to bring forward an amendment after the consultation reports in summer.
«The question is not whether the Government will take further action. We will act robustly,» she told peers. «The question is how to do this most effectively.»
Campaigners celebrate
Speaking after the vote, Lord Nash said: «Tonight, peers put our children’s future first. This vote begins the process of stopping the catastrophic harm that social media is inflicting on a generation.»
Online safety campaigner Ellen Roome told the Press Association she was «really delighted» with the result. Her 14-year-old son Jools died while attempting an online challenge. «Everybody’s campaigned really hard for it,» she said.
The Government’s consultation will examine advantages and disadvantages of an Australian-style ban, possible overnight curfews, and actions to prevent "doom-scrolling". The result now puts pressure on MPs in the Commons to take decisive action.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).