🔗 Share this article

A coalition of 60 Labour parliamentarians have sent a joint letter to Keir Starmer, pressing him to champion a potential ban on social media access for those under 16, ahead of a key vote in the House of Lords this week.

Cross-Party Pressure Mounts

The lawmakers, including senior MPs, past shadow ministers and figures from both the left and right of the party, are aiming to ramp up pressure on the government. This amid increasing demands for the UK to adopt a similar policy of the Australian government, which implemented a comparable prohibition recently.

While Starmer has indicated he is receptive to a ban, members of the House of Lords are seeking to accelerate the process by means of an proposed change to the key legislation. This amendment would require the introduction of a age restriction one year of the bill becoming law.

“Across our constituencies, we hear the same message: children are worried and distressed, and struggling to concentrate on learning. They are not building the social skills needed to succeed.”

Global Precedent

The letter, coordinated by Labour MP Fred Thomas, adds that “Globally, governments are acknowledging the scale of this crisis and acting.” It highlights existing or pending legislation in countries like France, Norway, New Zealand, Greece and Denmark.

“We believe the burden must be placed on technology platforms, not parents, to block children from accessing their sites,” the MPs write. “We would support a framework similar to Australia’s that requires companies to take significant action to uphold age limits.”

Implementation Concerns

This show of strength within the lower house places further focus on the Prime Minister. While he has in the past shown doubts about the effectiveness of a ban, he recently told MPs he was receptive in theory to the idea.

Nevertheless, in recent days, administration sources have stressed apprehensions that a ban could push children toward less-regulated online spaces. They maintain on the need to gather more data from the Australian experiment before deciding on a UK version.

“In principle, Keir is in favour of a ban. We can all see the dangers and are concerned about what is happening to young people’s minds,” stated an associate. “But there are still major challenges to overcome with putting it into practice. We need to proceed carefully and make sure we get this right.”

Parliamentary Test

The Prime Minister's stance will face a direct test this week when members of the upper house vote on the amendment by Conservative peer John Nash. This amendment to the schools bill proposes enacting an age limit within a year the bill's passage.

While the Labour leadership has not yet declared its official position on the amendment, several Labour peers are likely to support it irrespective of any guidance from party managers.

Among them is ex-parliamentarian Luciana Berger, who has co-signed Lord Nash's amendment. She commented: “The proposal for increasing the social media age limit enjoys significant public support – throughout the UK and inside the Labour party. Social media is profoundly hurting children and we must take immediate action to protect them.”