By Muhammad Mamman
Britain’s Conservative Party has pledged to block children under the age of 16 from accessing social media platforms if it returns to government, signalling a tougher stance on online safety and youth wellbeing.
The proposal was outlined by Kemi Badenoch, a senior Conservative figure, who said the party would introduce strict measures aimed at protecting minors from the perceived harms of social media use.
Badenoch argued that excessive exposure to social media poses serious risks to children, including to their mental health, development and safety, and insisted that government intervention is necessary to curb those dangers.
Under the plan, social media companies would be required to prevent under-16s from creating or maintaining accounts, likely through stronger age-verification systems. Details of enforcement mechanisms and potential penalties for non-compliance were not immediately disclosed.
The proposal comes amid growing concern in the UK and elsewhere over the impact of social media on young people, with debates intensifying around screen time, online abuse, data privacy and algorithm-driven content.
Critics, however, have questioned the practicality of enforcing age-based bans online and warned of possible unintended consequences, including privacy concerns linked to age verification and the risk of pushing children towards unregulated platforms.
The Conservatives’ pledge adds to a wider political debate over how governments should regulate technology companies and balance child protection with digital rights, as the UK prepares for future elections.
