Vinted and eBay could be added to the list of platforms that children under 16 will be barred from using in the United Kingdom, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said on Sunday, 8 November 2026. Asked on the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme whether the government was looking to ban under-16s from the two resale sites, Ms. Nandy replied: "We are looking seriously at doing so in order to keep children safe." The UK's social media ban for under-16s is due to come into force in March next year, covering platforms such as Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat. The government announced the ban in June, with children prevented from accessing 10 of the biggest platforms.
The argument for widening the ban is built on how these sites actually work. Vinted allows direct messaging between users, and a Vinted spokesperson confirmed that messaging is "part of how the platform works," which creates the kind of private contact between strangers that child safety campaigners worry about. The government has already shown that it is willing to draw the line broadly, since YouTube will also be banned for under-16s, although the child-focused YouTube Kids will not be included. Rani Govender, head of online child safety at the NSPCC, said the real question going forward is how the government ensures that age checks are effective, which implies that any list of platforms is only as good as the enforcement behind it. Last month the communications regulator Ofcom set out its recommendations on the most effective ways to identify which social media users are aged over 16, so the technical groundwork for age checks is already in place.
The counter-argument is that Vinted and eBay are not social media in the usual sense, and that the case for including them is weaker than it sounds. eBay says on its website that it already requires all members to be over 18 because listings involve entering into a contract. Vinted is aimed at over-18s too, although its terms allow parents or guardians to create accounts for their children, which must be used under supervision. Both companies responded constructively, with eBay saying it looks forward to continuing to work with the government and Vinted welcoming open dialogue, but a ban would still change how families use the services. Matthew Sinclair, a senior director at the Computer and Communications Industry Association, which represents technology companies, argued that ministers should prevent the rules having "scope creep," and said a restriction on messaging for under-16s would not stop at social media but would reach into services that families depend on to stay in touch.
The question matters well beyond two websites because the UK is writing one of the broader rules on children and technology in the world, and other governments are watching how it is defined and enforced. If a platform is brought in because it has a messaging function, then a large part of the online marketplace, gaming and communications sector could follow. The government will have to explain where the line is drawn and how it will be checked.
For now the idea is only under serious consideration, not a decision. Ministers will need to balance child protection against proportionality before the ban begins next March.
