Regulate social media algorithms and addictive design instead of a blanket ban

Rejected 9 signatures

What the petition asks

Halt plans for a blanket social media ban on under-16s. Instead, mandate that platforms must disable engagement-maximising algorithms, infinite scrolling, autoplay loops, and predatory design features by default for all minor accounts, shifting accountability from families to tech corporations.

Blanket bans fail to protect youth and block educational lifelines for isolated, neurodiverse, or home-educated teens. The real harm lies in multi-billion-pound corporate algorithms engineered for profit. For both minors and the wider public, these systems prioritize polarization and misinformation because outrage drives screen time. The Government must hold tech giants accountable: regulate core mechanics and mandate transparency to protect public discourse and keep young people safe online.

Why it was rejected

There was already a petition about this issue. Duplicates are rejected so signatures collect in one place.

You may wish to sign these petitions which call for similar actions: Do not ban social media for under 16s
Ban engagement-driven algorithms that push provocative content on social media

Timeline

16 Jun 2026	Petition opened for signatures
15 Jul 2026	Rejected by the Petitions Committee

Key facts

Signatures 9

Status Rejected

Rejected 15 Jul 2026

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