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The U.K. government is preparing to extend its planned social media ban for children under 16 to online shopping sites and apps because of their messaging features, The Times newspaper reported.
According to the report, Culture, Media and Sport Secretary Lisa Nandy has launched an effort to bar under-16s from platforms including eBay, Facebook Marketplace, Vinted and Depop. The stated reason is that direct messaging on these services can expose children to abuse by strangers.
A government source told the newspaper: “There is a lot of evidence showing that many children under 16 are exposed to risks by accessing these services. We need to take an inclusive approach to protect children online.”
The Children’s Society, a U.K.-based child protection charity, said some users on the sites and apps ask child users for inappropriate photos in exchange for money.
Former Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on June 15 that work had begun on a ban on social media use by under-16s.
He said the government planned to pass the legislation through Parliament by the end of this year, with the ban taking effect in the first months of next year.
“Every parent sees it with their own eyes. Social media makes children unhappy. It makes it easier for bullies to harm and abuse children, and even children’s mental health suffers.
Children are exposed to dangerous content because it grabs attention,” Starmer said at the time.
Starmer also said messaging features in gaming and streaming apps would be banned, along with access to social media apps, and that the plan included bringing VPNs under the ban.
Australia became the first country to bar under-16s from holding social media accounts in December 2025.
The Associated Press reported in June that the U.K. planned to follow a similar model, covering platforms including Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X.
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