Will Tikstop?

No10 'failing kids' as 64% of voters back social media ban

- BY ALEXANDER BROWN Assistant Political Editor

THE government has been warned it is failing children by ruling out a ban on social media for under-16s.

Keir Starmer has suggested he is against an Australia-style block.

But a majority of the public support barring platforms such as TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram for kids, our exclusive poll found.

Nearly two-thirds - 64% — of UK voters would get behind a ban, while just 19% oppose the idea, the research by Deltapoll revealed.

Scottish Labour MP Joani Reid, who is chair of the Children’s Online Safety all-party parliamentary group, warned ministers “the status quo is failing children”.

She said: “These figures show the public is well ahead of the political debate. Parents can see the harm unregulated social media is doing to children and they want action.

“Australia has been prepared to act in the interests of young people rather than the tech giants and the UK should be open to doing the same.

“A ban for under-16s would not be about punishment or control but about basic safeguarding, setting boundaries and giving children space to grow up without constant online pressure.

“Doing nothing is no longer a neutral option.”