Millions Britons Face Vinted, eBay Ban for Under-16s Under Plan
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said the UK government is looking seriously at extending its planned under-16s social media ban to online marketplaces including eBay, Vinted, Depop and Facebook Marketplace, over fears that strangers use messaging tools to groom children.
UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said the government is "looking seriously" at extending its planned under-16s social media ban to online marketplaces including eBay, Vinted, Depop and Facebook Marketplace, a move that could affect millions Britons face Vinted and similar resale apps.
Nandy said the aim is "to keep children safe". A government source pointed to an "increasing body of evidence" that children under 16 are being targeted and put at risk on these platforms.
Grooming concerns behind the plan
The idea is driven by evidence that strangers are using the messaging features on selling sites to groom young people and ask them for indecent photographs.
The Children's Society has raised alarms about the issue. It submitted evidence to Parliament warning that some young users are asked for indecent images in return for money or gifts.
The charity said the sites groomers use vary with the group they target. Children from disadvantaged backgrounds are particularly likely to be approached on Vinted, it said.
How many children use the sites
Ofcom research on children's online habits suggests roughly 19 per cent of children aged eight to 14 use eBay at least once a month. About 15 per cent use Vinted monthly.
Some marketplaces say their platforms bar users under 18. Ofcom data indicated those age limits were being bypassed.
Timing and wider ban
The broader under-16s social media ban is due to take effect in March 2027. It will stop children using platforms such as Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat, and YouTube, excluding YouTube Kids, is also expected to be covered. The full list of banned platforms has not yet been officially published.
The marketplace restrictions could come through secondary legislation, which ministers can pass without a full new Act of Parliament. Implementation is targeted before the end of 2027, several months after the first restrictions begin.
The government is also weighing restrictions on online gaming platforms, whose messaging functions similarly let strangers contact children directly.
Australia has already enacted a full ban on social media for under-16s, though children there have found ways around it. The UK government has said it wants stricter enforcement to avoid those problems.
Company response
An eBay spokesman said the company is "focused on providing a trusted and safe marketplace experience for our millions of customers". He added that the details of the proposed legislation were not yet clear, and that eBay looks forward to "continuing to work constructively with the Government".
