London – British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday said greater protections were needed for children on social media, and the country was looking at Australia’s world-first ban for under-16s.
Good to speak to @BBCMarkDenten & @BBCNEandCumbria about the call for better protection for children online.
The problem is only getting worse and if social media companies won’t play their part in protecting children from exploitation online, then the Government must intervene. pic.twitter.com/UlJmqaagVn
— Catherine McKinnell MP (@CMcKinnellMP) January 19, 2026
Some 60 MPs from Starmer’s Labour party wrote an open letter on Sunday, urging the prime minister to change tack and block access for under-16s over concerns about the harms to young people’s mental health.
“Successive governments have done far too little to protect young children from the consequences of unregulated, addictive social media platforms,” the lawmakers said.
Leader of the opposition Conservative party Kemi Badenoch also urged Starmer to go further on the issue and back a ban.
“I want Keir Starmer to do a U-turn – and ban Britain’s under-16s from social media,” Badenoch wrote in the Mail on Sunday.
A cross-party amendment for a ban similar to Australia’s will likely be voted on this week in the House of Lords – Britain’s upper house of parliament – according to UK media.
Across the Channel, France is currently debating bills for a social media ban for under-15s, including one championed by President Emmanuel Macron.
Breaking🇬🇧⚡️: “I think we need to do more to protect children”, thousands of victims of grooming gangs, those raped by illegals and women and girls harrassed by ‘New Brits’ will be outraged by these scripted comments from communist PM Starmer today.
The narrative about… pic.twitter.com/39JXU0Db8u
— HIN News🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@HerdImmunity12) January 19, 2026
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Source: AFP
