On March 9, 2026, members of the UK House of Commons voted against an amendment that would have imposed a blanket ban on social media use for those under 16. The vote passed by a score of 307 to 173.
An amendment introduced by Conservative former minister Lord Nash as part of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill was previously approved by the House of Lords in January 2026 (261 votes to 150). It proposed introducing a strict age limit based on the Australian model, with mandatory effective age verification and a 12-month implementation period.
The UK government, however, opposed a strict ban. Education Minister Olivia Bailey and Science Minister Liz Kendall urged MPs to reject the Lords’ amendment and support alternative more flexible powers for the government. According to the approved position, Science Minister would be able to impose restrictions or bans on children of a certain age from accessing certain social media, chatbots, and other services, depending on the degree of their harmfulness.
Supporters of a strict ban, including parents who have lost children to the influence of social media, as well as some Labour, Conservative, and Liberal Democrat MPs, called the House of Commons’ decision “deeply disappointing” and a “delay in real action.” Lord Nash stated that he would seek to revive the amendment at subsequent stages of the bill’s consideration.
The government is continuing its three-month public consultation on children’s social media use (launched March 2, 2026, and ending May 26). Among the measures being considered are not only a possible ban, but also a “curfew” for gadgets, restrictions on addiction algorithms, raising the age of digital consent, and other tools.
A final decision on the bill is still pending. Experts note that a complete ban along the Australian model is unlikely to be implemented in the UK anytime soon, with a more flexible and phased approach preferred.