British MPs struck down proposals for a blanket ban on social media for children under 16, as the government backed a separate consultation on measures to protect young people online.
The Australia-style ban was part of a bill that passed in the UK’s upper house of parliament, known as the House of Lords, in January.
It failed to secure enough votes in the House of Commons late on Monday, after the government opposed it in favour of a consultation due in summer.
However, more than 100 of the 404 Labour MPs abstained, as calls to restrict children’s access to social media grow among politicians and the public.
A YouGov poll in December found 74% of Britons supported a ban.
Olivia Bailey, an education minister in the Labour government, urged more flexible measures, noting a “blanket ban could drive children towards less regulated corners of the internet”.
Bailey also warned it could “leave teenagers unprepared when they do come online”.
