Story perspectives

Parents Demand Under-16 Social Media Ban Amid Verification Push

5/7/2026

Summary

Story summary

Bereaved parents, led by Ellen Roome, are demanding a ban on social-media accounts for under-16s because harms are already evident.
The UK government opened a consultation on online-safety, including a possible under-16 ban, and has received 60,000 responses with a summer deadline.
Ofcom ordered firms to use age-verification tools such as credit-card checks or facial-recognition, while Australian research shows 61 % of 12- to 15-year-olds access restricted platforms despite the ban.

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Story summary

Bereaved parents, led by Ellen Roome, are demanding a ban on social-media accounts for under-16s because harms are already evident.
The UK government opened a consultation on online-safety, including a possible under-16 ban, and has received 60,000 responses with a summer deadline.
Ofcom ordered firms to use age-verification tools such as credit-card checks or facial-recognition, while Australian research shows 61 % of 12- to 15-year-olds access restricted platforms despite the ban.