Culture Secretary Nandy Says UK Is 'Looking Seriously' at Adding Vinted and eBay to Under-16 Ban

Lisa Nandy, the Culture Secretary, said today, Nov. 8, that the government is "looking seriously" at adding Vinted and eBay to the UK's under-16 social media ban.

Asked on the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg whether children would be barred from the two resale sites, Nandy answered: "We are looking seriously at doing so in order to keep children safe."

No decision has been announced. But the comment puts two of the biggest online marketplaces in the country in the frame.

Why marketplaces are in the frame

The Sunday Times reported that the ban was being widened to cover the resale platforms. Its reporting says the concern is that messaging tools on the sites let strangers groom children. The paper said Depop and Facebook Marketplace could also be added.

The Children's Society has warned that some young users on online selling platforms are being "asked for indecent photos in exchange for money" or gifts. The NSPCC has said children on such platforms are at risk of being "groomed and exploited."

Government sources told the Daily Mirror that ministers are considering imposing "highly effective age requirements" on platforms that have a messaging function letting users talk to strangers. Online gaming platforms could also be targeted, according to the Mirror.

The 18+ rule already exists

The awkward part is that both companies already bar anyone under 18. eBay says on its website that all members must be adults because listings involve "entering into a contract." Vinted also says users must be at least 18.

Children use them anyway. Ofcom research, titled Children's Passive Online Measurement, found that about 19% of children aged eight to 14 use eBay frequently and 15% use Vinted frequently. Vinted has grown fast and now has 17 million UK users.

So the live question is not whether kids are supposed to be on these sites. They are not. It is whether the platforms can actually keep them off, and what the government will require of them if they cannot.

A shift in the ban's design

The government announced the under-16 ban in June, covering 10 of the biggest platforms. YouTube is included. YouTube Kids is not. According to The Next Web, ministers said at that point they did not intend to include e-commerce platforms.

The government has said the ban will cover platforms "whose purpose is to enable social interaction and which allow users to post material." Services with livestreaming, or features that let strangers contact children, will also be restricted. That includes some gaming sites, though Roblox, the biggest gaming site in the UK for children aged eight to 12, is not being banned for under-16s.

In September, Nandy said the rules would follow a "safety by feature-led approach." That differs from Australia, which drew up a list of banned companies. Under Nandy's approach, the focus is on features such as infinite scrolling, the ability to send nude images, and contact with strangers, including through video games. Apps with those features would be caught.

A marketplace with a private messaging function fits that logic more easily than a list of "social media" brands would suggest.

What the companies say

eBay did not oppose the idea outright, and did not endorse it either. A spokesperson said the company is "focused on providing a trusted and safe marketplace experience for our millions of customers."

"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," the spokesperson added.

Vinted has not responded to requests for comment.

Can it be enforced?

Ofcom set out four methods last month for checking users' ages, including photo ID and facial age estimation. The Mirror reports that adults and teenagers over 16 could face bank or photo ID checks to access social media.

Australia's under-16 ban took effect last year. Children there have found ways around it. The UK government says it intends to take a tougher approach, though it has not published details of how.

That has a cost for adults too. Any age-verification regime that covers a marketplace means everyone, including the 17 million UK Vinted users and eBay's millions of customers, may have to prove who they are to buy a secondhand coat or sell a phone.

What comes next

The ban is set to take effect in March 2027. According to the Mirror, the details are due to be published before Christmas. That publication should settle whether Vinted, eBay, Depop and Facebook Marketplace are on the list, and what age checks each would have to run.