Under-18s should be banned from 'addictive' social media features like 'infinite scrolling', warn MPs

By SOPHIE CHURCH - POLITICAL REPORTER Published: 00:01, 21 May 2026 | Updated: 00:13, 21 May 2026 Labour must ban under-18s from accessing addictive social media features, a group of MPs has warned. All children should be blocked from infinite scrolling, disappearing messages and push notification features to tackle the 'severe and systemic' harms they are suffering via devices, Parliament's Education Committee has told the Government. In a report published on Thursday, the MPs also reiterate calls for a full social media ban for under-16s to 'arrest' the harms youngsters are experiencing online. This comes as Keir Starmer has prevaricated on cracking down on children's' safety online – saying in April that Labour is 'going to act' but admitting he did not yet know what action to take, or when. Shadow education secretary Laura Trott said on Wednesday that social media companies should 'not have unrestricted access to our children, but the Government is still dragging its feet.' She added: 'Children are being exposed to extreme and violent content on social media every single day. Boys are being fed material about knives and pornography, while girls are seeing content that makes them hate themselves. 'It does not have to be this way.' And campaigner and bereaved mother of Jools Sweeney Ellen Roome told the Daily Mail: 'The Government's consultation closes next week, and ministers now have a clear opportunity - and responsibility - to act decisively.  'No parent should have to discover the dangers of these platforms only after tragedy has struck.'  Education Committee Chair and Labour MP for Dulwich and West Norwood Helen Hayes, meanwhile, urged ministers to 'take action before it is too late'. All children should be blocked from infinite scrolling, disappearing messages and push notification features to tackle the 'severe and systemic' harms they are suffering via devices, Parliament's Education Committee has told the Government She said children and young people today 'face a deluge of serious harms whenever they log on to social media' yet social media companies have 'not taken full responsibility' for the behaviour on their platforms. The cross-party group of MPs claim that the harms experienced by children online are 'not accidental or isolated' but occur because of 'platform design choices' in the report. As such, they recommend Government impose 'clear, enforceable duties' on social media companies to prioritise child safety and bring in 'meaningful sanctions for non-compliance'. They also tell the Government to treat online harms to children 'explicitly as a safeguarding and public health issue'. The Committee's recommendations come after the PM confirmed in April that it was 'not a question of whether there's going to be something done' as Government is 'going to act'. But Sir Keir would not commit to a full social media ban for under 16s, nor give any indication of when Government would introduce any kind of safety measures. This followed the PM repeatedly whipping backbenchers to vote against a full ban, which was included in the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill as a Conservative-laid amendment. The Government instead used the legislation to ban smartphones in schools after facing considerable pressure from the Tories – in yet another Labour policy U-turn. Ministers then announced Government would impose 'some form of age or functionality restrictions' even if it stopped short of a ban. The Committee's report now responds to an ongoing Government consultation into how young people use social media – with the idea of a full social media ban for under-16s under consideration. This comes as a separate report published on Thursday blasts social media for encouraging young people, including 16- to 18-year-olds, to quit their jobs. Authors of the report, which will form part of the Milburn review into young people and work, said 'the social media tools of destruction', have produced a 'stranded generation'. A government spokesperson said: 'We share the Committee's determination to keep children safe online. We want to give young people the childhood they deserve and to prepare them for the future.' The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. 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