Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has announced a major new policy pledge, vowing to ban social media access for children under the age of 16 and to prohibit smartphones in schools if her party is elected.
An Australian-Inspired Crackdown on 'Addictive' Platforms
In an interview with the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Badenoch outlined plans to introduce an age limit for social media, directly inspired by recent legislation in Australia. She stated that the aim is to protect children from platforms she described as profiting from their anxiety and distraction.
Australia has already moved to prevent under-16s from creating accounts on major platforms including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, and Twitch. The Conservative policy would seek to replicate this model in the UK.
"What we are seeing is a lot of children spending so many hours a day on platforms that are profiting from their anxiety, from their distraction, and they are actually designed to be addictive," Badenoch told the BBC.
Policy Details and Political Pressure
The proposed policy has two key pillars. Firstly, it would require social media companies like TikTok and Snapchat to implement robust age verification tools to bar under-16s. Secondly, it would enforce a blanket ban on smartphones within schools.
This announcement adds to growing cross-party pressure for government action. Labour's Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, has recently indicated he wants stronger measures to safeguard children online. However, Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Technology Secretary Liz Kendall have previously expressed personal opposition to an outright ban. The government is said to be monitoring the Australian experiment closely.
The Conservatives emphasised that the scope of the ban would be kept under review, and they aim to work with the tech industry to find practical solutions.
Union Backing and the Call for Legislation
The policy was unveiled on the same day that the NASUWT, one of the UK's largest teaching unions, called for a social media ban for under-16s. The union cited serious concerns about the impact on pupils' mental health and their ability to concentrate in class.
NASUWT advocates for tighter legislation that would penalise big technology firms if they fail to prevent children from accessing their platforms. This aligns with the Conservative pledge to shift responsibility onto the industry.
Badenoch framed the policy as a matter of "common sense," seeking to provide protection for children while preserving freedom for adults. "The internet is a wild west, social media in particular," she said. "We don't think children should be on there."
