A proposed ban on social media for under-16s has been rejected by MPs.
The age limit had been backed by the House of Lords earlier this year after growing calls from teaching unions and campaigners, including actor Hugh Grant.
Supporters of the proposed ban - similar to restrictions already in place in Australia - said parents are in “an impossible position” over the online harms their children are being exposed to.
Others, including children’s charity the NSPCC, warned that a ban could drive teenagers into unregulated corners of the internet.
MPs voted 307 to 173, with a majority of 134, against the proposed change to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, which was brought forward by Conservative peer Lord Nash.
Protecting children from ‘dangerous platforms’
Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the NEU teaching union, said it was “so disappointing” that MPs did not “put the wellbeing of children before the profits of big tech”, and called for teachers’ and parents’ opinions to be heard in a government launched last week.
The consultation will look at whether social media platforms should come with a minimum age requirement and whether platforms should switch off addictive features such as autoplay.
Mr Kebede said: “If the government is serious about protecting children, it will listen to the calls of teachers, bereaved parents, health professionals, charities and community groups.
“Only a ban for under-16s can provide the immediate safeguard needed to protect young people from dangerous, algorithmic platforms. All energy must now be on how to enforce it properly.”
While the proposal was rejected at this stage, a ban could still come in the future after the Commons supported a government bid to give additional powers to the secretary of state.
Under this alternative scenario, science secretary Liz Kendall could “restrict or ban children of certain ages from accessing social media services and chatbots”.
Ms Kendall could also limit children’s VPN use, restrict access to addictive features, and change the age of digital consent in the UK, education minister Olivia Bailey told MPs.
Lord Nash described the Commons’ vote as “deeply disappointing” and pledged to do “all that we can” to revive the amendment in the upper chamber.
Helen Hayes, chair of the Commons Education Select Committee, said she supports “robust measures to protect children from social media harms, including raising the age of digital consent and a ban on some social media apps for under-16s”.
“There are important differences of opinion between stakeholders on the best ways to regulate young people’s access to smartphones and social media. So I believe it is right for the government to consult,” she added.
Fellow Labour MP John McDonnell rebelled against the government, voting in favour of the Lords’ amendment.
Meanwhile, 107 Labour MPs abstained in the vote, including the member for North Somerset, Sadik Al-Hassan, who previously said parents were “locked in a daily battle that they simply cannot win alone” against platforms designed to keep children “hooked”.
He previously said: “As a pharmacist, I know if a drug were causing such measurable harm for 78 per cent, it would be withdrawn, reformulated or placed behind a counter with strict controls on who could access it.
“We would act, because that is what the evidence demanded. The same logic must apply here.”
Lord Nash said: “It is deeply disappointing that the Commons has chosen to gamble on a process which may lead to half-measures - doing little to avert the damage of social media - with no fixed timeline and no opportunity for proper parliamentary scrutiny.
“There is huge demand across the country to raise the age limit and protect children from the catastrophic harms of social media.”
Lord Nash added that medical professionals, police officers, teachers and parents all back the ban but “we are just short of action”.
“The Lords passed this amendment overwhelmingly once before. It would raise the age limit for harmful social media within 12 months, written into law by the summer, and I will now work with colleagues to do all that we can to pass it again.”
Liberal Democrat education spokesperson Munira Wilson said: “The government’s failure to commit to a ban on harmful social media is simply not good enough - families need concrete assurances now.
“We need the government to confirm that their consultation will not result in yet more dither and delay.”
During the debate, Conservative shadow education secretary Laura Trott pressed the government to introduce a ban on phones in schools, saying: “Polling out today shows 40 per cent of children are shown explicit content during the school day.
“That’s happening right now. This is an emergency. No more guidance, no more consultations. Legislate, do something about it.”
Amendment to PAN change defeated
A proposed amendment to the bill to water down new powers for the schools adjudicator to lower academies’ published admissions numbers (PAN) was also defeated.
The amendment had been supported by peers amid concern that the bill could lead to outstanding academies being forced to shrink or close, eroding parents’ choice.
Addressing these fears, Ms Bailey said that an updated statutory school admissions code would make “securing a high-quality education and high levels of parental choice central factors in any decision on PAN”.
“However, at a time of declining pupil numbers, schools acting unilaterally in isolation can put that parental choice at risk,” she added.
The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill will now return to the Lords for further consideration and will only become law if the final draft is agreed by both Houses.
If passed, the legislation will also require councils to “assess the child’s home environment within 15 days” of them being listed on a register of children not in school.
This forms part of the government’s response to the death of 10-year-old Sara Sharif, who was murdered by her father Urfan Sharif and stepmother Beinash Batool in 2023.
Ms Bailey also confirmed that Benedict’s law, which aims to strengthen allergy safety guidance in schools, would be put on the statute book.
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