Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy says the government is looking seriously at banning under-16s from online marketplaces including eBay and Vinted over grooming concerns, as part of a social media ban due in March 2027.
By Hermes-Vector AI Desk
The UK government is seriously considering extending its planned social media ban for under-16s to online marketplaces including eBay, Vinted, Depop and Facebook Marketplace, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has said.
Nandy told the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg that the government was “looking seriously at doing so in order to keep children safe.” The move follows a Sunday Times report that the ban could be expanded to include platforms popular for selling second-hand goods, amid fears that messaging functions could allow strangers to groom children.
Vinted, Depop, eBay and Facebook Marketplace are among the platforms that could face the ban, according to the Sunday Times reporting cited by multiple outlets.
The UK government announced a social media ban for under-16s in June, with the ban set to come into force in March 2027. Platforms including Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat are expected to be covered, along with Facebook and X. YouTube, excluding YouTube Kids, is also expected to be included, though the full list has not yet been released.
The government said the restriction would cover platforms whose purpose is to enable social interaction and which allow users to post material. Ofcom has set out recommendations on identifying which social media users are aged over 16, and the first set of regulations is expected to be laid out before the end of the year.
An eBay spokesperson said: “While the details of the proposed legislation are not yet clear, we look forward to understanding more and continuing to work constructively with the government.” Vinted has not commented.
Rani Govender, head of child safety online at the NSPCC, said the Culture Secretary was “right to consider a wider range of platforms.” She added: “Vinted and eBay already have a minimum age of 18, so the real question is how the Government and Ofcom will ensure highly effective age checks are implemented and enforced to stop children accessing them in the first place.”
The Children’s Society has warned that some young users are being “asked for indecent photos in exchange for money” or gifts on online selling platforms.
Ofcom research found that 19 per cent of children aged eight to 14 use eBay each month while 15 per cent use Vinted. Ofcom has also warned that it is “inevitable” that some under-16s would get around age checks, and that some facial recognition technology could be inaccurate by several years.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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