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Written question asked by Will Stone (Labour) on Thursday, 25 June 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 29 June 2026. It was answered by Kanishka Narayan (Labour) on Friday, 3 July 2026 on behalf of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.

Social Media: Children

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether under-16s will be able to access political content on social media.

Answer

Government recognises the importance of young people being civically engaged.

On 15 June, the government announced its intention to ban social media companies from offering their services to under 16s.

Social media is not the only – nor always the most reliable – source of high-quality news content. We are helping young people engage with trusted high-quality local and national journalism online. We are strengthening media literacy in the national curriculum to help young people identify mis- and dis-information. State funded schools throughout the UK already have digital access to around 150 newspapers through the Newspapers for Schools News Library.

There will also be a defined list of exemptions, including, for example, educational services.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
13251
Session
2026-27
Subjects
Children Politics and government Social media
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk