nuNov 10, 2026, 08:08

UK wants to ban Vinted and eBay for children under sixteen

The United Kingdom government is exploring a potential ban on children under sixteen using e-commerce platforms like Vinted and eBay to prevent them from interacting with potentially harmful strangers. The proposed regulations aim to secure chat functions, though industry groups warn that such restrictions might be overly broad and disrupt legitimate family communication.

The United Kingdom government is considering a ban on children under sixteen using platforms like Vinted, eBay, and Facebook Marketplace to protect them from potential harm. Culture Minister Lisa Nandy explained that the initiative aims to prevent minors from interacting with strangers who might pose a risk through chat functions. While the government already intends to restrict minors from major social media apps like Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat by next March, these e-commerce sites are now under scrutiny due to similar safety concerns regarding direct messaging capabilities. Both Vinted and eBay have stated they are willing to engage in discussions with the government, emphasizing that they already have measures in place to report or ban users who display inappropriate behavior. However, some industry representatives warn that overly broad regulations could negatively impact essential communication tools used by families. Currently, Vinted maintains a significant presence in the UK with seventeen million users, and existing policies technically allow parents to supervise accounts created for their children.

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Based on reporting by nu. Translated and condensed by LocalHeadlines.

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