House of Lords Backs Under-16 Social Media Ban

The House of Lords voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday to support an amendment banning children under 16 from using social media platforms, marking the second time the upper chamber has backed the measure amid growing concerns over online harms to young people.

The vote, which passed 266 to 141 with a majority of 125, was proposed by Conservative peer Lord Nash as part of the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill. It follows a similar successful push in the Lords earlier this year, where the amendment secured a majority of 111. However, the House of Commons rejected it earlier this month by a margin of 134, instead granting the government broader powers to restrict or ban access to specific social media services, impose curfews, or limit usage time for children. The bill now enters a reconciliation stage, known as ping-pong, where both houses must agree on the final text before it becomes law.

Lord Nash, a former minister who has served as a director for technology companies in California, led the debate by criticizing social media firms for what he described as a reckless disregard for child safety. "The Californian techies are some of the most able, innovative, entrepreneurial,...