The MP for Thirsk and Malton has warned the Government not to use the planned under-16s social media ban as a way to introduce digital ID for adults.
Kevin Hollinrake says he is pleased to see Labour finally take action to prevent children seeing harmful material online. He says the ban will give kids their childhood back.
But the MP says he understands concerns about this being used as a way to introduce Digital ID, something that he and the Conservatives do not support.
He said: “We think it’s bad that young children are constantly on their phones all the time, so it is a good thing to do. And we know there’s some very adverse effects of social media among people, but one or two people have raised the point, will this be a backdoor to digital ID?
“Absolutely not. That’s not what the Conservative Party believes in.
“We’re going to make sure that the requirements to prove your identity are no more onerous than you would be required to go into an off licence and buy some alcohol, you still need to prove your age.
“It’s as simple as that. There’s no way in the world we’d support this if it was a back door to mandatory digital ID.”
Many are already asking whether enforcing the ban will mean cracking down on virtual private networks (VPNs), which can disguise someone’s location online.
Ministers have said they will provide an update on further restrictions like potential curfews, curbing of “addictive” features like infinite scroll and AI chatbots, in July.
The most common and accepted ways to verify your age currently include:
- Document Upload: Take a photo of your physical Passport, Driving Licence, or a PASS-accredited card (e.g., CitizenCard) using your smartphone camera. The system will verify the document and instantly confirm your age.
- Facial Age Estimation: Snap a quick live selfie. Software analyzes your facial features to estimate your age bracket The photo is encrypted and deleted immediately after the check.
- Credit Card Verification: Enter a valid credit card. Because credit agreements generally require users to be legal adults, a quick background authorization confirms you are 18 or older. (Note: Debit cards are often rejected for this step).
- Open Banking / Mobile Provider: Allow a secure, automated check against your mobile network account or bank details to confirm you meet the age requirements.
