UK to ban children under 16 from using eBay and Vinted

UK authorities plan to ban children under the age of 16 from using online platforms eBay and Vinted because of the risk of communicating with strangers. This is reported by The Times, citing a source in the British government.

According to the publication, the initiative intends to promote the British Minister of culture Lisa Nandy. She plans to expand the current draft ban on the use of social networks by children under 16 to include online marketplaces. The restrictions may also affect Depop and Facebook Marketplace (owned by Meta, which is recognized in Russia as extremist and banned).

According to a study conducted for Ofcom, 19% of children between the ages of eight and 14 use eBay every month, and 15% use Vinted. The Children's Society has warned the British government that minors may face grooming attempts on marketplaces. In particular, some children are offered money or gifts in exchange for explicit photos.

Grooming is a gradual entry into trust in a person, most often in a child, in order to manipulate him, achieve his favor and further use him for his own purposes.

The first stage of the restrictions, according to the publication, will affect social networks, including Facebook, Instagram (owned by Meta, which is recognized in Russia as extremist and banned) and X. The list of platforms that will be banned from registering users under the age of 16, Lisa Nandy plans to submit before the end of 2026. The next stage in the spring of 2027 may be online marketplaces and gaming services that allow adult strangers to text or talk to children.

The publication suggests that restrictions for trading platforms will be introduced through by-laws. They can come into force before the end of 2027. However, The Times doubts the effectiveness of the ban, since some marketplaces already require proof of age, however, according to a study by Ofcom, minors circumvent these restrictions, including using the accounts of parents.

That in the UK restrictions on the use of a number of platforms for people under the age of 16 can be introduced in 2026, The Times wrote in February. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has confirmed a total ban on the use of social media for children under 16. According to him, the restrictions are created in order to return children to childhood.