UK House of Lords Votes for Social Media Ban for Under-16s

AI Summary

The UK House of Lords has voted in favor of banning social media for under-16s, following an Australian-style approach. The vote, which was 266 to 141, rejected proposals for a public consultation to decide on the ban.

The House of Lords has backed an Australian-style social media ban for under-16s, with peers voting 266 to 141 against proposals for a public consultation.

Conservative former minister Lord Nash said the vote sent an 'unambiguous message' to the government, emphasizing that 'hollow promises and half-measures are not enough.'

The vote comes after a jury in Los Angeles found that Meta, the owner of Google and Facebook, designed deliberately addictive products that harmed a 20-year-old's mental health.

Nash proposed the age limit as part of the children's wellbeing and schools bill, stating that 'techies' had taken a 'cavalier approach' to content damaging to children.

The decision could influence thousands of similar lawsuits in the US accusing social media companies of deliberately causing harm.

Lady Cass, a paediatrician and crossbench peer, criticized the government for 'failing to understand the impact of social media on our children.'