Parents face ‘messy’ watch for social media ban regardless of big announcement deliberate
EXCLUSIVE: Keir Starmer is set to announce a social media ban for kids next week but parents face a ‘messy’ wait – from a possible change in PM to the legal and practical hurdles
Parents face a long and “messy” wait for a social media ban for kids even though the PM is expected to announce one next week
Parents face a long and “messy” wait for a social media ban for kids even though the PM is expected to announce one next week, experts have warned.
Keir Starmer is poised to unveil a package of online safety measures on Monday, days before the Makerfield by-election in which leadership challenger Andy Burnham is hoping to be re-elected as an MP.
But experts have warned the PM he risks “kicking the can down the road” by announcing a headline ban on social media for under 16s before a potential leadership challenge against him.
One online safety source, who has been close to government conversations on the issue, told The Mirror: “We’re concerned the PM is leaning towards making a political decision. It does seem he wants to get it through before Makerfield.
“It’s a bit of kicking the can down the road and washing your hands of the problem, by saying something that sounds attractive but is in reality going to take a long time. It’s going to be messy and take a while. All the implementation isn’t going to be Keir’s problem.”
In Australia, new legislation was passed to facilitate social media restrictions at the end of 2024. But a ban did not come into force until more than a year later in December 2025.
The UK government has already made preparations so it can move faster. Ministers introduced powers under the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill earlier this year to allow a ban to be implemented without the need for new primary legislation.
Instead, secondary legislation – which is much faster to pass – will be used. MPs and peers will still get the chance to debate and vote on the issue. Technology Secretary Liz Kendall on Tuesday said she wants any legislation needed to enforce a ban to be “passed by the end of the year”.
The minister – who is a Starmer ally and could be under threat if Mr Burnham becomes PM – also admitted to Cabinet colleagues that the response could not be “one and done” and would need to “continually evolve to match the ever-changing world of technology”.
Chi Onwurah, Labour MP and chair of the Commons’ technology committee, raised concerns about media regulator Ofcom’s ability to implement a ban quickly. “If we were to bring in a ban, Ofcom’s capacity and willingness to enforce it quickly would not be certain,” she told The Mirror.
“I’ve always said Ofcom’s actions depend on political will. The PM has shown much more political will to protect children online in the last few weeks than we’ve seen under preceding governments.” Officials insist Ofcom is ready to act fast.
Rani Govender, NSPCC’s Associate Head of Policy for Child Safety Online, said she hoped the Government’s response would focus on banning design features instead of specific sites. She said a restrictive list of banned platforms risks leaving the door open for new sites with the same harmful features in the future.
“Creating a future-proofed system is so important,” she told The Mirror. “New services will emerge and if they have live streaming, stranger pairing and endless scrolling, children will be put at risk.
“We want the basis of any restrictions to be based on the design features and functionality of a platform.”
The Government’s consultation on social media received around 120,000 responses, making it the second largest response to any government consultation in history since one on equal marriage.
Parents overwhelmingly support a ban, but online safety experts are split over the policy. Some believe it will let tech firms off the hook or push youngsters into darker spaces online.
In a response to the government consultation, the US hit out at the idea of “prescribed one-size-fits-all government restrictions”. Downing Street said Mr Starmer is “focused on what’s right for families” in the UK after the White House’s opposition to a social media ban was reported. The PM has told his Cabinet there is “no question” that the status quo must change following the end of the consultation.
