London – Al-Yurae: The House of Lords voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday in favor of a proposed legal amendment to ban social media use for those under the age of sixteen — a step that could push the British government to adopt an “Australian model.”
The amendment, introduced by Conservative peer Lord John Nash, passed with 261 votes to 150, gaining backing from senior figures in the ruling Labour Party and the Liberal Democrats.
Although the Labour government has pledged to protect children, it prefers to wait for the outcome of public consultations scheduled for this summer before enacting binding legislation.
More than 60 Labour MPs, however, have joined calls to fast-track the ban, breaking ranks with the official government line.
The demand to restrict social media access for children and young teenagers extends beyond political circles to cultural figures and public opinion. British actor Hugh Grant publicly urged the government to support the proposal, citing a moral argument that “parents alone cannot withstand the flood of algorithms.”
Supporting that sentiment, a YouGov poll found that 74% of Britons are actually in favor of the measure.
The British government swiftly objected to the Lords’ amendments, but the debate will now move to the House of Commons, where Labour holds a majority.
Child protection organizations have cautioned that a blanket ban could create a “false sense of security,” leaving the government to navigate a delicate balance between the policy’s wide public appeal and the technical challenges of its implementation.