Update: Tuesday 20 January 2026
I’m really pleased that the Government has today announced that it will consult on increasing the minimum age limit for social media to 16.
On Monday, I shared with you below that I had co-signed a letter calling for such a step. The government has listened, and today’s announcement is an important step towards a safer, healthier online environment for our children.
I’ll keep you updated and share a link to the consultation when it goes live
I’m a strong supporter of technology and recognise that tech and online platforms can be a force for good and change lives. But as someone who has campaigned on the issue of online harms, I cannot ignore the increasing evidence – and public strength of feeling – about the impact that unregulated, addictive social media platforms are having on young people.
That’s why I’ve now called on the Government to back a minimum age for social media access of 16 years old.
I’m one of 61 MPs who have signalled their support for an Australia-style social media ban for under 16s. Yesterday we sent a letter to the Prime Minister raising concerns about the impact that excessive social media usage is having on young people, and calling for a model similar to that used in Australia, which places the onus on technology companies to prevent under-16s from creating social media accounts.
You can read the full letter below.
Dear Prime Minister,
We are writing to request urgent action to raise the minimum age for access to social media platforms to 16 years old. Across our constituencies, we hear the same message: children are anxious, unhappy, and unable to focus on learning. They are not building the social skills needed to thrive, nor having the experiences that will prepare them for adulthood.
At home, the average 12-year-old now spends 29 hours a week on a smartphone, much of it on social media platforms rife with harmful content, designed to be addictive.
The consequences of this are clear. More than 500 children a day are being referred for anxiety alone in England. For teenage boys, going from zero to five hours of daily social media use is associated with a doubling of depression rates. For girls, rates triple. Around the world, Governments are recognising the severity of this crisis and taking action. Australia has banned tech companies from providing social media accounts to under 16s. Denmark, France, Norway, New Zealand and Greece are expected to follow suit. Britain risks being left behind.
We believe the onus must be placed on technology platforms, not parents, to prevent underage access. We would support a model similar to Australia’s that requires companies to take meaningful steps to enforce age limits.
Public support for this approach is strong. Many of our constituents have recently got in touch sharing their concerns about the impact of social media on children and asking us to support a social media minimum age of 16. Most strikingly, young people themselves recognise the harm: 78% of Gen Z say they would try to delay their child using social media as long as possible.
We are all strong supporters of technology, and of this Labour Government’s ambition to use tech to improve lives. But successive Governments have done far too little to protect young people from the consequences of unregulated, addictive social media platforms.
We urge the Government to show leadership on this issue by introducing a minimum age for social media access of 16 years old.
Yours sincerely,
Fred Thomas MP
Darren Paffey MP
Plus 59 other MPs