Government could ban under-16s from eBay and Vinted over online safety fears

A ban that stops children using online marketplaces such as eBay and Vinted is being seriously considered by the Government, Lisa Nandy has said.

The Culture Secretary is said to be considering extending the social media ban for under-16s to the marketplaces amid fears their messaging functions could allow strangers to groom children.

Ms Nandy will publish details later this year of which social media platforms will be banned from having users under 16 years old. Facebook, Instagram and X are expected to be included.

But the Sunday Times reported Ms Nandy could go further in the spring and extend the ban to marketplaces. Vinted, Depop, eBay and Facebook Marketplace are among those which could face the ban, according to the newspaper.

Asked on the BBC's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg if she would extend the ban to the websites, Ms Nandy said: “We are looking seriously at doing so in order to keep children safe.”

Back in June, then-prime minister Sir Keir Starmer announced a ban on social media for under-16s after the results of a nationwide consultation showed support for the measures.

The prime minister unveiled plans to restrict online activity for children as he declared “social media is making children unhappy”.

The government set out intentions to use the same model for a social media ban as Australia, going further to tackle AI chatbots and introducing more measures to enforce age verification.

Starmer announced the social media ban would take “world-leading” action against social media companies, as well as gaming and livestreaming platforms, so that strangers will not be able to contact children.

A ban on social media for teens has received overwhelming support, with nine in 10 parents backing decisive action.

Sir Keir said that as a father of two himself, a full ban on under-16s accessing social media sites was “the right choice”.

He added: “This is not something I do lightly, and I will not present it as cost-free, as if social media has brought no benefits to young people, because clearly that is wrong.

“But government is always about choices, and it’s clear to me that a full ban is the right choice.”