Conservatives pledge to ban social media for under-16s

The Conservative Party has pledged to ban social media access for under-16s, with leader Kemi Badenoch saying the change would raise the online 'age of consent' to protect children from harmful content. The plan would require platforms to use non-government ID age checks and points to moves in other countries as precedents.

The Conservative Party has announced a pledge to ban social media use for children under 16. Kemi Badenoch framed the change as raising the online "age of consent" to protect young people from harmful content. The proposal goes beyond earlier Conservative calls to limit smartphone use in schools. It cites rising time spent online and international examples as part of its rationale. Key points: - The party says it would ban social media for under-16s and raise the online "age of consent," according to statements by Kemi Badenoch. - Platforms would be required to implement age-verification measures that do not rely on a government digital ID, with examples including parental checks, biometric analysis, or passport confirmation. - The announcement is a party policy pledge; there is no confirmed timeline or government enactment process reported at this time. Summary: The pledge would change access rules for people under 16 and place new verification responsibilities on social media platforms. Undetermined at this time.