UK plans to extend social media ban to under-16s to Vinted and eBay
Culture Minister Lisa Nandy confirms that the government is studying extending the ban on social media to online sales platforms.
Quick Look
The British government plans to extend to online sales platforms such as Vinted and eBay its ban on social networks for under 16s, expected to come into force in spring 2027, in order to protect children against child pornography approaches via messaging.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The British government announced last June a ban on social networks for under-16s, which is due to come into force in spring 2027. The system uses a broad definition of services whose objective is to encourage social interactions and which allow users to publish content.
Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat… and soon Vinted and eBay? In an interview with the BBC on Sunday, November 8, British Culture Minister Lisa Nandy confirmed that her government was “seriously considering” extending to online sales platforms its ban on social networks for under-16s announced last June. According to information initially relayed by the Sunday Times, the clothing resale platform Vinted, but also the general sites eBay, Facebook Marketplace or Depop, could fall through the cracks of the net set by London, whose system will come into force in spring 2027.
Although these platforms are not social networks strictly speaking, their messaging services are suspected of being used by individuals to approach minors for child pornography purposes. Enough to push the government to act to “protect children”, says Lisa Nandy. And this, even if most of the platforms concerned already apply security rules with regard to young users. A world reference in online commerce, eBay, for example, requires its users to be adults, while Vinted imposes parental controls on those under 18. However, these barriers are easily circumvented.
“Open dialogue”
“While the details of the bill are not yet clear, we look forward to learning more and continuing to work constructively with the government,” responded an eBay spokesperson, assuring that the platform “is committed to providing a reliable and secure shopping experience to its millions of customers.” Same affability at Vinted, which welcomed the start of an “open dialogue”, while ensuring that it already applies “zero tolerance towards harmful or explicit content”, with measures “which could go as far as definitive exclusion or reporting to the competent authorities”.
The British government has not yet drawn up the exact list of platforms targeted by its ban. For the moment, it retains a broad definition of services “whose objective is to promote social interactions and which allow users to publish content”. Large networks, such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat or X (formerly Twitter), will in any case be part of it. London has also not decided on a definitive method for verifying the age of Internet users.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
The British government will publish an exact list of online sales platforms targeted by the ban.
Likely · Within weeks
A definitive method for verifying the age of Internet users will be established.
Likely · Within months
Open Questions
- Exactly which online sales platforms will be on the banned list?
- What method will be used to verify the age of Internet users?
- What sanctions will be applied in the event of non-compliance?
