Online safety and social media

What positions have MPs and peers taken on online safety and social media over the past twelve months?

A briefing written by AI (Claude) from the Hansard records cited below, prepared 27 October 2026 from records up to 26 October 2026. Check the sources before relying on it.

In brief

Conservative and Liberal Democrat frontbenchers pressed for a ban on social media for under-16s, as when Laura Trott said "We now need a social media ban for children." [Source 12]
Peers and some Labour and crossbench members opposed or questioned a blanket ban in favour of safety by design, as when Baroness Owen said she was concerned that "a ban in the UK may put the onus solely on parents, when we should be using the Online Safety Act to hold platforms accountable and ensure safety by design." [Source 17]
Ministers set out a ban for under-16s, as when Kanishka Narayan's written answer said the government would "ban social media platforms from offering their services to under-16s" [Source 2].
Devolved members and committee witnesses argued for evidence-led or tougher action, as when Cefin Campbell told the Senedd "it's very easy to rush to find solutions or to make easy headlines" [Source 27].

Conservative and Liberal Democrat frontbenchers - pressing for a ban

Opposition frontbenchers wanted faster, firmer action, as when Ben Spencer, Shadow Minister, said "Consultation is no substitute for action." [Source 9]

Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat spokesperson), who has raised the subject repeatedly, said her party would "reset the default age for social media to 16 now, with strong age assurance, because enough is enough." [Source 11]
Julia Lopez, Shadow Secretary of State, defended the Online Safety Act while calling it "a necessary first step, but it is only the beginning of a much longer fight to protect childhood." [Source 6]

Ministers - consultation, then a ban

Ministers first consulted, as when the Lords written statement of 2 March 2026 said the government was tabling amendments to the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill "to enable to us to act swiftly on the consultation findings, without prejudging its outcomes." [Source 4]

By 19 June 2026 the minister said the Online Safety Act "provides robust foundations, but we have always been clear that there is more to do." [Source 2]

Labour backbenchers - supportive of the Act, divided on a ban

Labour backbenchers largely defended the Act, as when Emily Darlington said "It puts porn back on the top shelf." [Source 14]

Lizzi Collinge said "I currently do not think" a ban "is the right thing to do." [Source 20]
Lola McEvoy said "we must age-gate functionalities instead of age-gating social media." [Source 24]
In the Lords, Lord Knight said "we should back the Government's consultation." [Source 18]

Peers - sceptical of a blanket ban

Lord Clement-Jones (Liberal Democrat) wanted a risk-based alternative, saying "We would regulate risk to the child, not the type of technology." [Source 7]

Viscount Colville said "I do not think that an outright ban on social media for the under-16s will be effective in protecting children." [Source 13]

Devolved parliaments - cautious or evidence-led

In the Senedd, Lynne Neagle (Labour) said "removing features that encourage compulsive use is a practical step that could make a real difference." [Source 25]

In the Northern Ireland Assembly, Michelle Guy (Alliance) said "This debate cannot start and end with a simple age ban." [Source 29]
Senedd member John Griffiths said such a policy "would need to come from the UK level, as internet services remain a reserved matter." [Source 26]

Committee witnesses - Act not yet enough

Andy Burrows of the Molly Rose Foundation told the Education Committee "the Online Safety Act is not doing enough right now to force companies to meaningfully change their design choices and commercial decisions." [Source 33]

Oliver Griffiths of Ofcom told the Communications and Digital Committee "We do not have the power to enforce that, but we have the power to encourage people to go further." [Source 31]

About the evidence: The records are a selection of speeches, written answers and committee evidence, so most groups rest on one to three speakers and there are no division records. The Scottish Parliament is not covered. The Senedd and Northern Ireland Assembly decide many subjects for their own nations, and Senedd material notes internet services remain reserved to the UK Parliament.

Online safety and social media

Sources