A SOCIAL media ban for under-16s is being considered by ministers because of the possible “grotesque impacts” on their wellbeing.
Tech Secretary Peter Kyle said he was keeping “all options open” when pressed on Britain copying an Australia-style crackdown.
He has commissioned government research on the impact of online platforms on youngsters and warned companies were not doing enough to protect them.
The Cabinet Minister told Sky News: “I'm keeping all options open. The problem is, at the moment, there's very little evidence.”
Warning of how the harms kids are exposed to online can “lead to loss of life in certain circumstances”, he said he was “frustrated” tech giants are not doing enough.
He said: “So I'm trying to do what I can do to find out what the where the evidence is behind the impact that social media has on children, young people and people with vulnerabilities so that I can build I can build policies that sometimes might be strident policies.
“But they need to be built on firm evidence, because the evidence just simply isn't there at the moment.
"And I'm open minded as to what that means going forward."
Teenager Molly Russell took her own life aged 14 in 2017 after viewing harmful content on social media.
Her death sparked campaigning to clean up the internet, leading to the Online Safety Act that will force firms to take down damaging posts from their platforms.
Ofcom will be able to fine firms up to £18million for failing to remove harmful content from their sites.
Mr Kyle said he had been speaking to politicians from Australia, which recently imposed a social media ban for under-16s.
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