Starmer Backs Down on Teen Social Media Ban to Avoid Rebellion

Sir Keir Starmer is to hand Labour MPs the power to fast-track a social media ban for teenagers in an attempt to stave off a rebellion in the Commons. The Labour leader suffered an embarrassing defeat in the House of Lords as peers voted by 261 to 150 to back a bill amendment that would implement an Australian-style ban on children under 16 accessing social media platforms. The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill now returns to the Commons, where Sir Keir is facing the threat of a rebellion by as many as 60 MPs demanding that the UK introduce a social media ban for teenagers. As well as offering rebels a three-month consultation on the ban, Sir Keir is also preparing a fresh concession that would guarantee legislation allowing ministers to introduce the ban without a lengthy process through the Commons and Lords. Sir Keir’s concession means that a ban could be fast-tracked through secondary legislation – rather than primary – within months of the consultation on the ban’s merits being concluded. Fred Thomas, the MP who organised a letter by 60 Labour MPs calling for a ban, said he would “welcome” the amendment to ban under-16s from social media “through secondary legislation, based on consultation”. He added: “I am confident consultation and evidence-gathering, including from young people themselves, will show what I believe is crystal clear: there is overwhelming and conclusive evidence that algorithmically addictive social-media content is causing a public-health crisis and that parents, educators and children need the Government to step in and protect children.” Secondary legislation is commonly used to expedite the amendment of existing laws, for example, the listing of new banned substances to the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. Another MP who believes that the Government must introduce a ban said that, after the Government’s concessions, “it doesn’t make sense to rebel”. It is thought about a dozen Labour MPs who want a ban are unlikely to support the Government when it seeks to overturn the Lords amendment on the children’s bill’s return to the Commons. On Monday, Sir Keir announced the consultation on a ban and curfews on children’s social media, use as well as measures to make all schools phone-free by default and curbs on tech firms’ use of addictive features to keep children online, such as streaks and infinite scrolling. Baroness Smith, an education minister, used Wednesday’s debate to say that the Government was ready to underwrite legislation to enact changes once the consultation was completed. “The question is not whether the Government will take further action – we will act robustly. The question is how to do this most effectively,” she said. Those demanding further action on online harms are not agreed on the answers. More than 40 child-protection charities and online safety groups have opposed a ban on the basis that “unintended consequences” could put children at greater risk of online harms. Ian Russell, whose 14-year-old daughter Molly took her life after being bombarded with self-harm and suicide content, has also opposed the ban. He warned that it would ease the regulatory pressure on social-media firms to ensure their products were safe for all children irrespective of their age. Campaign groups, including the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, fear a ban could drive children to riskier sites, create a “cliff edge” at 16 where children without any experience of navigating the online world suddenly have to cope with its pressures and deprive vulnerable or lonely youngsters of a safe means to socialise online.