An online safety charity warned that a blanket social media ban for children under 16 would likely be unenforceable, citing evidence from Australia where parents still found children on platforms. The charity’s CEO argued policymakers should focus instead on restricting addictive features such as autoplay, infinite scroll, and harmful recommendation algorithms. The warning comes amid expectations that UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer will share government online safety plans following consultations. The dispute centers on balancing enforceability, effectiveness, and risk to children’s mental health. For colleges and universities, the policy debate matters because student mental health support, advising, and digital well-being initiatives increasingly intersect with platform governance, student privacy, and the design of safer campus digital environments.