The government is “looking seriously” at extending its forthcoming ban on under-16s using social media to the resale platforms Vinted and eBay, the culture secretary has said. Lisa Nandy told the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg that the sites could be covered “in order to keep children safe”, after the Sunday Times reported that the ban was being expanded over fears that messaging functions allowed strangers to groom children.
The ban, announced in June and due to come into force in March next year, will bar children under 16 from accessing platforms such as Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat. A complete list of affected platforms has not yet been released.
The Sunday Times suggested resale platforms Depop and Facebook Marketplace would also be included in the list of banned sites.
eBay said it was “focused on providing a trusted and safe marketplace experience for our millions of customers”. “While the details of the proposed legislation are not yet clear, we look forward to understanding more and continuing to work constructively with the government,” a spokesperson said. Vinted has not responded to requests for comment.
eBay says it currently requires all members to be over 18 because its listings involve “entering into a contract”. Vinted says its users need to be at least 18; the site has grown rapidly in recent times to reach 17 million UK users.
The government has said the ban will cover platforms "whose purpose is to enable social interaction and which allow users to post material". Platforms with livestreaming or features that could let strangers contact children will also be restricted, including gaming sites. That does not mean Roblox, the biggest gaming site for eight to 12-year-olds in the UK, will be banned, but its chat function will be restricted. YouTube will be banned for under-16s, while YouTube Kids will not be included.
The UK's ban follows a similar measure introduced in Australia last year. Many children there have found ways around it, but the UK has said it intends to take a tougher approach. Last month, communications regulator Ofcom set out recommendations for the most effective ways to identify which users are aged over 16.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The move would extend an age-based ban beyond social media into e-commerce, blocking under-16s from buying and selling second-hand goods on major platforms.
- It puts the spotlight on age verification: how platforms prove a user's age, with Ofcom's recommendations on identifying over-16s already published.
- It signals the UK intends to enforce more strictly than Australia, where children have found ways around the ban.
Background
The UK government announced in June that it would ban under-16s from the 10 biggest social media platforms, with the law taking effect in March next year. The government has said the ban covers platforms whose purpose is social interaction and posting material, and restricts features such as live streaming and chat on gaming sites. A full list of affected platforms has not been released.
Key Perspectives
- Lisa Nandy, culture secretary: says the government is "looking seriously" at including Vinted and eBay "in order to keep children safe".
- eBay: says it is focused on providing a trusted and safe marketplace experience and looks forward to working constructively with the government once the details of the proposed legislation are clear.
- The Sunday Times: reported that the move is driven by fears that messaging functions allow strangers to groom children, and that Depop and Facebook Marketplace would also be included in the ban.
What to Watch
- The publication of the full list of banned platforms, which the government has not yet released.
- Whether Depop and Facebook Marketplace are ultimately included, as the Sunday Times reported.
- The government's chosen enforcement and age-check methods, following Ofcom's recommendations and Australia's experience with workarounds.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedThe government is weighing including Vinted and eBay in the under-16 social media ban.BBC News: “Vinted and eBay could be included in the list of platforms set to be banned for under-16s, the culture secretary has said.”
- SupportedLisa Nandy said the government was “looking seriously” at including the sites to keep children safe.BBC News: “We are looking seriously at doing so in order to keep children safe.”
- SupportedThe Sunday Times reported the ban was being expanded over fears that messaging functions allowed strangers to groom children.BBC News: “The newspaper said the move was over fears that messaging functions allowed strangers to groom children.”
- SupportedThe ban was announced in June and is due to come into force in March next year.BBC News: “The UK's social media ban for those under the age of 16 is set to come into force in March next year”
- SupportedA complete list of affected platforms has not yet been released.BBC News: “A complete list of affected platforms has not yet been released”
- SupportedThe Sunday Times suggested Depop and Facebook Marketplace would also be included in the banned-sites list.BBC News: “It suggested similar reselling platforms, Depop and Facebook Marketplace, would also be included in the list of banned sites.”
- SupportedeBay said it was “focused on providing a trusted and safe marketplace experience” and looked forward to understanding more and working with the government.BBC News: “An eBay spokesperson said the company was "focused on providing a trusted and safe marketplace experience for our millions of customers". "While the details of the proposed legislation are not yet clear, we look forward to understanding more and continuing to work constructively with the government," they added in a statement.”
- SupportedeBay currently requires all members to be over 18 because listings involve entering into a contract.BBC News: “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".”
- SupportedVinted has 17 million UK users.BBC News: “The site, which mostly sees users buy and sell unwanted clothes and other fashion items, has grown rapidly in recent times to reach 17 million UK users.”
- SupportedThe government says the ban will cover platforms whose purpose is social interaction and that allow users to post material.BBC News: “the government said it would cover those "whose purpose is to enable social interaction and which allow users to post material".”
- SupportedRoblox is the biggest gaming site in the UK for eight to 12-year-olds.BBC News: “It does not mean that Roblox, the biggest gaming site in the UK for eight to 12-year-olds for example, will be banned for under-16s.”
- SupportedRoblox will not be banned, but its chat function will be restricted.BBC News: “It does not mean that Roblox, the biggest gaming site in the UK for eight to 12-year-olds for example, will be banned for under-16s. However, certain features such as its chat function will be restricted.”