Oral Answers to Questions

Fred Thomas Excerpts

Wednesday 4th February 2026 Commons Chamber

[Liz Kendall]

We are banning harmful content for children, and this Government have taken decisive action to protect children and young people from intimate image abuse, self-harm, cyber-flashing, and strangulation in pornography. Hon. Members across the House will continually ask me this question today, but I believe that a consultation—swift, with proposals before the summer—is the right and responsible way forward to hear different views, to try to build consensus where we can, and then to act decisively. I hope that the hon. Lady, who I know cares deeply about these issues, will work with us, including with her constituents, to ensure that we build the strongest possible framework for the future.

[Fred Thomas (Plymouth Moor View) (Lab)]

3. Whether her Department's consultation on children’s use of social media will include the implementation of a potential social media ban.

[The Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology (Liz Kendall)]

The Government’s consultation on children’s use of social media and how we build a great life online for our young people will include the option of banning social media for under-16s. We will also look at other measures, such as raising the digital age of consent, breaks to stop excessive use or doomscrolling, overnight curfews, the enforcement of existing age verification laws—there is more to be done there—and addressing concerns about the use of virtual private networks. I have also said that I will take further action on AI chatbots when that is necessary. There are strong and differing views about this issue, which is why we believe that a swift consultation rooted in the evidence is the right and responsible way forward.

[Fred Thomas]

Every day that children are exposed to harmful and addictive content is another day of preventable harm. Yesterday, the Spanish PM, Pedro Sánchez, announced that Spain will ban social media for under-16s, pledging to protect children there from the digital wild west. Expectations are that the Government in Spain will begin passing legislation next week. Meanwhile, we know about France and Australia. There is accelerating momentum from our allies to move quickly and decisively on this issue. Can the Secretary of State confirm, as was indicated by a Minister in the other place a couple of weeks ago, that the Government are taking steps so that a ban could be introduced here at pace through secondary legislation, subject to the results of the consultation?

[Liz Kendall]

I am not one for hanging about. I want to act swiftly, and we will do whatever is possible on the basis of the consultation and the decisions we take to act as swiftly as possible.