British MPs have rejected a proposal to introduce an Australia-style ban on social media for under-16s, opting instead to give ministers flexible powers to impose restrictions on platforms.

The amendment, modelled on a measure introduced in Australia late last year that blocks children from using platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat, was voted down in the House of Commons by 307 votes to 173.

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The proposal had been backed earlier this year by peers in the House of Lords and supported by campaigners including the actor Hugh Grant.

However, Education Minister Olivia Bailey urged MPs to reject the amendment and instead support a government plan allowing ministers to impose targeted restrictions if needed.

Bailey said some parents and campaign groups had called for a complete ban on social media for under-16s, while others, including children’s charities, warned that such a move could push young people towards “less regulated corners of the internet”.

The government has launched a consultation examining possible measures, including introducing minimum age requirements for social media platforms and disabling features considered addictive, such as autoplay.

Under the alternative proposal, Science Secretary Liz Kendall would be granted powers to restrict or ban children of certain ages from accessing social media services or chatbots.

The powers could also allow limits on harmful platform features, restrictions on children’s use of virtual private networks, and changes to the UK’s digital age of consent.

Opposition pressure

Opposition figures argued that stronger action was needed immediately. Conservative shadow education secretary Laura Trott said the government should legislate for an age limit on social media and introduce a ban on mobile phones in schools.

Trott cited polling suggesting that 40% of children are exposed to explicit content during the school day, describing the issue as an “emergency” that required urgent legislation.

The debate also drew attention to the case of Molly Russell, the British teenager who died in 2017 after viewing harmful online content. Her father, Ian Russell, has argued that the government should focus on enforcing existing online safety laws rather than imposing a blanket ban.

More than 100 MPs from the governing Labour Party (UK) abstained during the vote.

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The amendment had been introduced in the Lords by former education minister John Nash, Baron Nash, who described the Commons vote as “deeply disappointing” and said he would continue working with peers to revive the proposal.

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