Opposition Day: Protections for children from online harms

Division 2266 — Protections for children from online harms 24 February 2026 | Result: Defeated — Ayes 69, Noes 279

Parliament voted on a Liberal Democrat Opposition Day motion calling for stronger protections for children from online harms. The motion was defeated by a substantial margin, with 69 MPs voting in favour and 279 voting against. Opposition Day motions are procedural opportunities for non-governing parties to force a debate and vote on an issue of their choosing, though they do not automatically change the law.

The vote matters because it reflects a live policy dispute over whether the existing Online Safety Act goes far enough to shield children from harmful content on social media platforms. The Liberal Democrats were pushing for measures that would in effect ban under-16s from harmful social media services, while leaving family-friendly platforms such as Wikipedia or Tripadvisor accessible at lower age thresholds. The government's rejection of the motion signals its position that current regulatory arrangements -- centred on Ofcom's powers under the Online Safety Act -- are sufficient, at least for now.

The division broke sharply along government-versus-opposition lines. Every Labour and Labour Co-operative MP who voted did so against the motion, accounting for the overwhelming majority of the 279 Noes. The Liberal Democrats provided the bulk of the Aye votes with 58, joined by the SNP's 5 MPs, all 4 Plaid Cymru MPs, and 2 independents. The Conservatives, despite being a major opposition party, were entirely absent from the division -- all 116 of their MPs did not vote. The DUP and Traditional Unionist Voice voted with the government against the motion.