New Delhi: Vinted and eBay could face a ban for children under 16 in the United Kingdom.
The British government is “seriously considering” stopping children from using online marketplaces, fearing strangers could use the apps to groom them. The meaure would be an extension of the social media ban announced in June.
Lisa Nandy, the cultural secretary, said that the details of the ban will be revealed later this year. Social media platforms, Facebook, Instagram and X are expected to be included.
Nandy told the BBC on Sunday that the ban would extend to websites as well.
“We are looking seriously at doing so in order to keep children safe”, she said.
Social media ban
Former UK prime minister Keir Starmer in June announced a ban on social media for teens under 16.
Vinted, Depop, eBay and Facebook Marketplace are among the platforms that could fall under the proposed restrictions.
The government is looking at Australia’s model of a social media ban. There are plans for stricter age verification and tackling AI chatbots.
When Starmer announced the social media plan, he emphasised that strangers would not be able to contact children. His decision was supported by 10 parents.
In the UK, 19 per cent of children between eight and fourteen use eBay each month, and another 15 per cent use Vinted, Sky News reported. The marketplaces have become a place where financially vulnerable children are targeted, cited a report from The Children Society, a welfare organisation.
The report found that children will ask for indecent photos in exchange for money. In some cases, kids have been lured into using drugs to access certain accounts.
The ban may be enforced in spring of 2027.
Speaking to The Independent, an eBay spokesperson said that they are trying to “understand” more about the ban, and will continue to work “constructively” with the government.