Starmer does not rule out backing social media ban for under-16s

Starmer does not rule out backing social media ban for under-16s Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has not ruled out banning British under-16-year-olds from social media, saying "all options are on the table". The Tories say they would keep their social media ban under review He said more needed to be done to protect children from social media and that he was watching "what is happening in Australia" where a ban has been recently introduced. Privately, many Labour MPs and officials have said they expect the UK government to follow Australia's example. Next week, the House of Lords is set to vote on proposals for a ban, which, if passed, could see pressure grow on the government to act. Last week, the Conservatives announced they would block under-16s from social media platforms, as well as prohibiting smartphones in schools, if they won the next election. Tory party leader Kemi Badenoch said "addictive" social media apps "correlates quite strongly" with a rise in mental health problems among young people. Labour Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has said he agrees with "a lot of what Kemi Badenoch is saying" on social media use. Earlier this week, Meta announced it had blocked about 500,000 accounts on its sites including Facebook and Instagram during its first week of compliance with the new law in Australia. Asked if he would back a ban in the UK, Sir Keir said: "We need to better protect children from social media. "We're looking at what is happening in Australia - all options are on the table in relation to what further protections we can put in place - whether that's under-16s on social media or an issue I am very concerned about, under fives and screen time. "Children are turning up age four at reception having spent far too much time on screens." Some Labour MPs and officials have privately expressed frustration that Badenoch and Burnham have been able to get ahead of the government on the issue. "It's where we will inevitably end up. It's what the public and parents want. I don't know what's keeping us so long," one senior government source said. This week's confrontation with X over Grok AI, on which Downing Street is claiming "vindication", might embolden the government to have another battle with the big technology companies. The issue could come to a head next week, with the House of Lords likely to vote on an amendment to the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill which would prevent under-16s from accessing social media. It has been tabled by Lord Nash, a Conservative former education minister, but is jointly-sponsored by Baroness Benjamin, the Liberal Democrat peer and former children's TV presenter; the Labour peer Baroness Berger and Baroness Cass, an independent member of the House of Lords, who is a paediatrician. Those involved in the amendment are optimistic it will pass. If it does, the House of Commons would have to hold a binding vote on the issue in the next few months. Asked...

Preview: ~500 words