UK is considering banning use of social media - photo credit: Shatterstock

The United Kingdom is considering banning children under the age of 16 from using social media, following a vote in the House of Lords in support of such a move.

Members of the upper house voted to back a ban for under-16s through an amendment to the government’s schools bill.

The move follows a similar decision by Australia, which began enforcing a law in December requiring social media companies to block users aged under 16 from creating accounts.

Australian campaigners and the government said the ban was necessary to protect children from harmful content and algorithms on platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday that he is not ruling out any options and pledged action to protect children online. However, he said the government wants to wait for the outcome of a consultation due this summer before introducing legislation.

The amendment, proposed by opposition Conservative lawmaker John Nash, passed with 261 votes to 150 in the House of Lords and was co-sponsored by a Labour and a Liberal Democrat peer.