Ruth Cadbury Seeks Views on Under-16s Social Media Use
Brentford and Isleworth MP launches online survey
Picture: Ruth Cadbury
January 30, 2026
Ruth Cadbury MP has opened a new online survey inviting residents to share their views on whether children under 16 should be restricted—or even banned—from using social media. Her call for local input comes at a pivotal moment, as the UK enters a national debate on how far the state should go in regulating young people’s online lives.
The issue has gained momentum following Australia’s landmark decision to ban under-16s from social media in late 2025, a move that has prompted governments worldwide to reassess their own protections for children online. In the UK, ministers have launched a formal three-month consultation examining whether similar restrictions should be introduced, alongside broader reforms to curb addictive design features and strengthen age-assurance requirements.
The Brentford & Isleworth MP’s survey asks residents whether they support a ban on under-16s using social media and invites reflections on the impact platforms have on young people’s wellbeing. The MP says she has already heard from many constituents concerned about excessive screen time, exposure to harmful content, and the pressures created by algorithm-driven feeds. She stresses that she remains open-minded and wants to ground her contributions to the national debate in the lived experiences of families in her constituency.
Her approach mirrors a wider governmental effort to gather public views. The UK consultation is exploring a spectrum of interventions—from raising the digital age of consent from 13 to 16, to banning addictive features such as “streaks” and infinite scrolling, to implementing stricter age-verification systems.
The UK’s review builds on the Online Safety Act, which already requires platforms to demonstrate how they enforce age limits and protect children from harmful content. Regulators have been pushing for “highly effective” age-assurance technologies, and ministers have recently empowered Ofsted to inspect school mobile-phone policies, with the expectation that schools become “phone-free by default.”
Calls for stronger action have grown across the political spectrum. Senior Labour and Conservative figures have signalled openness to an Australian-style ban, and the House of Lords has voted in favour of amendments that would require platforms to block under-16s within a year of new legislation passing.
International developments are also shaping the debate. Australia’s ban led to millions of accounts being removed in its first months, demonstrating both the feasibility and the challenges of enforcement. France, Denmark and New Zealand are considering similar measures, suggesting a global shift toward more interventionist child-safety policies.
By gathering detailed local perspectives, Cadbury aims to ensure that the voices of parents, carers, educators and young people themselves are represented as Parliament considers some of the most far-reaching online-safety reforms in a generation.
Residents can take part in the survey here.
Like Reading Articles Like This? Help Us Produce More This site remains committed to providing local community news and public interest journalism. Articles such as the one above are integral to what we do. We aim to feature as much as possible on local societies, charities based in the area, fundraising efforts by residents, community-based initiatives and even helping people find missing pets. We've always done that and won't be changing, in fact we'd like to do more. However, the readership that these stories generates is often below that needed to cover the cost of producing them. Our financial resources are limited and the local media environment is intensely competitive so there is a constraint on what we can do. We are therefore asking our readers to consider offering financial support to these efforts. Any money given will help support community and public interest news and the expansion of our coverage in this area. A suggested monthly payment is £8 but we would be grateful for any amount for instance if you think this site offers the equivalent value of a subscription to a daily printed newspaper you may wish to consider £20 per month. If neither of these amounts is suitable for you then contact info@neighbournet.com and we can set up an alternative. All payments are made through a secure web site. One-off donations are also appreciated. Choose The Amount You Wish To Contribute. If you do support us in this way we'd be interested to hear what kind of articles you would like to see more of on the site – send your suggestions to the editor. For businesses we offer the chance to be a corporate sponsor of community content on the site. For £30 plus VAT per month you will be the designated sponsor of at least one article a month with your logo appearing if supplied. If there is a specific community group or initiative you'd like to support we can make sure your sponsorship is featured on related content for a one off payment of £50 plus VAT. All payments are made through a secure web site. |