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MPs have called for a statutory ban on social media use by children, alongside tougher regulation of platform design features they say are contributing to significant harm to young people's mental health, wellbeing and development.
In a report responding to the government's consultation on Growing up in the online world, the House of Commons Education Committee argues that current safeguards are insufficient and that technology companies have failed to take adequate responsibility for the risks children face online.
The Committee recommends a statutory prohibition on social media use for children as part of a broader package of reforms. However, MPs stress that a ban alone would not be enough and should form part of a wider, risk-based regulatory framework covering social media platforms, gaming services, private messaging applications, hybrid platforms and AI chatbots used by children.
Among the measures proposed is the restriction of features described as "addictive by design", including infinite scrolling, disappearing messages and algorithmically curated content feeds. The Committee said such features are designed to maximise engagement and are associated with excessive screen time, disrupted sleep, reduced attention spans and behavioural difficulties.
The report concludes that harms experienced by children online are "severe and systemic" and stem not from isolated incidents but from platform design choices that prioritise user engagement. MPs argue that online harms should be treated as both a safeguarding issue and a public health concern, requiring preventative regulation focused on reducing children's exposure to risk.
The Committee also recommends imposing clear legal duties on platform operators to prioritise child safety by design, supported by meaningful enforcement powers and sanctions for non-compliance.
Alongside its recommendations on online safety, the Committee has endorsed the government's decision to place school mobile phone guidance on a statutory footing. MPs argue that schools should move beyond "not seen, not heard" approaches and instead either prohibit phones entirely during the school day or require devices to be stored in locked pouches or lockers.
The report further recommends government funding to support schools implementing secure storage systems and calls for detailed guidance on exemptions for pupils who rely on smartphones as assistive technology or who have caring responsibilities.
Committee chair Helen Hayes said children are routinely exposed to harms ranging from bullying and misogyny to abuse and sexual exploitation through social media platforms. She argued that companies which profit from children's engagement cannot be relied upon to self-regulate and that stronger government intervention is required.
The Committee's intervention adds to growing political and regulatory scrutiny of children's online safety and comes amid increasing calls for technology companies to take greater responsibility for the impact of their products on young users.
