UK considers banning under-16s from Vinted and eBay over safety concerns
By Nana Karikari, Senior Global Affairs Correspondent The United Kingdom government is evaluating an expansion of its planned social media restrictions to include major online reselling platforms. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy stated that ministers are examining restrictions on commercial websites to protect minors. Appearing on BBC on Sunday, Nandy directly addressed whether the government was […]
The UK government is exploring the possibility of restricting access to major online reselling platforms such as Vinted and eBay for individuals under the age of 16. This expansion would be part of broader measures aimed at enhancing child safety on social media and online marketplaces. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy confirmed that the government is considering such restrictions to protect minors from potential risks associated with these platforms.
Safety concerns have been raised due to the messaging capabilities embedded within these commercial websites, which could facilitate unauthorized contact and exploitation. The government's initiative follows a report in the Sunday Times that highlighted the potential inclusion of resale marketplaces due to safety risks related to messaging features.
Direct messaging on these platforms has been identified as a channel where predatory users might attempt to groom children for inappropriate exchanges, such as requesting sexual images in return for money or gifts. Despite the existing age policies of these online commerce services, which currently require users to be over 18, businesses and regulators are open to consultation with government officials to address potential legislative changes. eBay, a prominent player in the online reselling market, stated that it currently requires members to be over 18 due to the contractual nature of listings.
The company expressed willingness to collaborate with the government on this issue. Vinted, another popular reselling platform in the UK with 17 million users, has a policy allowing parents or guardians to create accounts for their children, which must be supervised. Vinted emphasizes its security measures, including zero tolerance for harmful content and dedicated moderation teams to enforce content rules.
The UK government's proposed restrictions, which also include banning under-16s from accessing social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat, represent a significant expansion of the initial policy focus. YouTube will similarly be prohibited for under-16s, although YouTube Kids, designed with children in mind, will not face the same restrictions.
The government's guidance specifies that services enabling social interaction, including livestreaming features and tools that allow strangers to contact children, will be subject to operational restrictions. This approach extends to online gaming services, with Roblox, the largest gaming platform for children in the UK, facing restrictions on specific functions like chat features.
Concerns have been raised about the potential "scope creep" of these measures, with industry representatives urging the government to ensure that restrictions remain proportionate and effective. Enforcement mechanisms are a critical aspect of the legislative debate, with the Communications regulator Ofcom recently proposing methods such as photo identification matching and facial age estimation technology to verify users' ages.
The UK framework is inspired by similar measures already implemented in Australia, but officials are prepared to adopt a more stringent enforcement strategy. Child protection experts emphasize that while verification systems are essential, they are just one component of comprehensive digital safety strategies.
Written by urgent.news from GBC Ghana's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
