Tim Farron MP backs social media ban for children under 16

The Westmorland and Lonsdale MP has echoed calls for a ban for children to protect their mental health.

This comes after Australia implemented a similar ban last year, with other nations looking to emulate this.

There is a public consultancy ongoing to determine whether a ban should be enforced and at what age it should be enforced for.

Mr Farron said: "I’m deeply worried about the long-term consequences of social media on children’s mental health.

"While I don’t think we should stop young people from using messaging apps which allow them to keep in touch with family and friends, I do strongly support a social media ban to protect children from the harm that social media platforms present."

The public consultancy will also seek to determine if there are other options instead of an outright ban.

These other options include:

• A mandatory overnight curfew for helping children to sleep better (the consultation asks what age this will apply to).
• Whether platforms should switch off addictive features like autoplay and infinite scrolling.
• How age verification should be strengthened.
• If children can use AI chatbots without restriction.
• How to help children and parents navigate the internet.