Moves to ban social media for under-16s has been backed by the House of Lords after peers voted through an amendment to a Government bill.
In a heavy Government defeat, peers supported the cross-party move by 261 votes to 150, which means it will have to be considered by MPs in the Commons.
Support for such a ban has been growing after campaigners and some celebrities, including actor Hugh Grant, signed a letter to political leaders urging action.
The Government has previously indicated it will try to overturn the amendment in the Commons while it holds a consultation on the matter.
However some Labour MPs have said they favour such a ban.
Earlier this week a poll also showed British adults overwhelmingly back plans to introduce the Australian-style rule, with 66 per cent saying they would support a “clear and enforceable” ban on social media platforms for children.
Supporters of it have argued parents are in “an impossible position” with regard to the online harms their children are being exposed to.
However some children’s charities, including the Molly Rose Foundation and the NSPCC, have warned that such a move could actually make the internet more dangerous for young people.
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall announced a three-month consultation this week, which will consider the advantages and disadvantages of a ban, as well as possible overnight curfews and actions to prevent “doom-scrolling”, before reporting back in the summer.
However, Tory former schools minister Lord Nash, who has spearheaded calls for a ban, argued the late concession simply represented more delay.
Proposing an amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, the Conservative peer told the upper chamber: “Many teenagers are spending long hours – five, six, seven or more a day – on social media.
“The evidence is now overwhelming as to the damage that this is causing.
He added: “This is going to happen. The only question is when. We have the opportunity to do it now in this Bill, and every day which passes, more damage is being done to children. We must act now.”
Paediatrician Baroness Cass said: “The first duty of Government is not to consult, it is to act.”
Filmmaker and children’s rights campaigner Baroness Kidron hit out at the Government, saying: “A consultation is the playground of the tech lobbyist and inaction is the most powerful tool in politics.”
“The Government has shown it will only act under pressure, not principle.”
However Liberal Democrat Lord Clement-Jones argued a blanket ban “risks protecting children in a sterile digital environment until their 16th birthday, then suddenly flooding them with harmful content without having developed a digital literacy to cope”.
Responding to the debate, education minister Baroness Smith of Malvern said: “Rest assured, Government hears those concerns, and we are prepared to act to deal with them.”
The minister promised to bring forward a future amendment enabling the secretary of state to enact the outcome of the “short, sharp” consultation.
Actor Hugh Grant was one of the signatories in a letter to Sir Keir, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch and Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey, backing the amendment.
The letter was also signed by Esther Ghey, whose 16-year-old daughter Brianna was murdered by two teenagers in 2023.
Ghey has previously said her daughter had a “social media addiction” and “desperately wanted to be TikTok famous”, putting her “in constant fear about who Brianna might be speaking to online”.
Other signatories included singer Peter Andre and actress Sophie Winkleman, while the letter was also backed by Parentkind and Mumsnet.
Peers also backed by 207 votes to 159, majority 48, a ban on providing VPN services to children over concerns they can be used to bypass age verification restrictions on accessing adult content.
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Changes made by peers to the Bill will be considered by MPs as legislation is batted between the Commons and Lords until agreement is reached.
A Government spokesperson said: “We will take action to give children a healthier relationship with mobile phones and social media.
“It is important we get this right, which is why we have launched a consultation and will work with experts, parents and young people to ensure we take the best approach, based on evidence.”
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