UK's Social Media Ban for Under-16s

The UK's social media ban for under-16s is set to come into force in March next year, with children barred from accessing platforms such as Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat.

According to the culture secretary, Lisa Nandy, the government is 'looking seriously' at including Vinted and eBay in the list of platforms set to be banned for under-16s.

'We are looking seriously at doing so in order to keep children safe,' she said.

The move comes after concerns that messaging functions on these platforms allowed strangers to groom children, according to reports.

Businesses and individuals sell a host of goods on eBay, which has been a major global player in the online reselling market for years. The platform states on its website that it currently requires all of its members to be over 18 years old because listings involve 'entering into a contract. '

Vinted is aimed at over 18s, but its terms and conditions do allow parents or guardians to create accounts for their children, which must be used under parental supervision.

The site has grown rapidly recently to reach 17 million UK users. A Vinted spokesperson said direct messaging was 'part of how the platform works' but that it had a 'zero tolerance for harmful or explicit content' and had moderation teams and tools to spot and remove 'activity that breaks our rules. '

'When we identify inappropriate behaviour, we take action, up to a permanent ban or reporting to the relevant authorities,' they said.