The Government is considering extending its planned ban on under-16s using social media to online marketplaces including eBay, Vinted and Depop, amid growing concerns that predators are exploiting the platforms to groom children and solicit indecent images.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy is “seriously considering” bringing resale websites and Facebook Marketplace within the scope of the restrictions, in what would represent a significant expansion of the Government’s attempt to curb children’s exposure to online harm.
The move follows warnings that the private messaging functions built into buying and selling platforms are being used by strangers to approach young people, sometimes offering money or gifts in exchange for sexual images.
Ms Nandy confirmed that ministers were “looking seriously” at extending the proposed restrictions to the marketplaces “in order to keep children safe”. A Government source said there was an “increasing body of evidence” that under-16s were being targeted through the sites.
The prospect of extending the ban raises difficult questions for some of the UK’s biggest digital marketplaces, whose business models depend on users being able to communicate directly to negotiate purchases, arrange collections and build trust between buyers and sellers.
The Children’s Society has warned Parliament that some children are being approached on these platforms and solicited for indecent photographs in return for cash or presents. The charity said the websites used by groomers could vary according to the children they were targeting, with young people from disadvantaged backgrounds particularly likely to be approached on Vinted.
The scale of children’s exposure to the marketplaces is substantial. Ofcom research suggests that about 19 per cent of children aged between eight and 14 access eBay at least once a month, while approximately 15 per cent use Vinted monthly.
Those figures also highlight the limitations of relying on platforms’ stated age policies. Although some marketplaces say their services are intended for adults, Ofcom data suggests that restrictions are routinely bypassed, leaving children exposed to features that can enable direct contact with strangers.
The proposed marketplace restrictions would form part of a wider crackdown on children’s online activity. The Government’s planned ban on under-16s using social media is due to take effect in March 2027, covering services including Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat. YouTube, excluding YouTube Kids, is also expected to be included, although ministers have yet to publish the definitive list of platforms affected.
The Government is also examining whether online gaming platforms should face restrictions, amid concerns that messaging and chat functions can provide another route for adults to contact children.
The marketplace extension could be introduced through secondary legislation, with implementation targeted before the end of 2027. That would put it several months behind the initial social media restrictions, giving ministers time to define which services and features should be covered.
The UK is following Australia, which has already introduced a sweeping prohibition on under-16s using social media. But the Australian experience has exposed the practical difficulties of enforcing age limits, with children finding ways around the restrictions.
British ministers have signalled they want a tougher enforcement regime to avoid similar weaknesses. Extending the rules beyond conventional social networks, however, would make the task more complex: marketplaces are used for legitimate transactions, and messaging is often integral to how they operate.
eBay said it was committed to providing a safe environment for customers, while cautioning that the details of the proposed legislation remained unclear.
“At eBay we are focused on providing a trusted and safe marketplace experience for our millions of customers,” a spokesman said. “While the details of the proposed legislation are not yet clear, we look forward to understanding more and continuing to work constructively with the Government.”
Vinted said it had “zero tolerance” for harmful or explicit content and used moderation teams and detection tools to identify and remove material that breached its rules.
The company said it could impose permanent bans or report inappropriate behaviour to the relevant authorities, adding that it was continuing to strengthen its safeguards alongside its obligations under the Online Safety Act.
“We welcome open dialogue with the Government and Ofcom on keeping our community safe,” a spokesperson said.
For ministers, the challenge will be to close channels exploited by predators without imposing blunt restrictions on services used by millions of people for ordinary buying and selling. The proposed expansion suggests the Government increasingly sees the risk to children as extending well beyond the social media platforms at the centre of its original plans.
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