LONDON mayor Sir Sadiq Khan is expected to back a ban on social media for under-16s, saying it is “the only way to stem the harms we know are happening right now.”

Mr Khan, speaking to an audience of engineers, founders and investors in the capital on today, will call on tech firms to prove their services are safe for children or face a ban.

“From food to pharmaceuticals, almost every company has to prove that its products are safe before they’re sold. I see no reason why social media firms shouldn’t do the same,” he will say.

But he will also warn that a ban alone will not solve all the issues, adding: “Rather than just restricting access to social media, we must reimagine it.

“Londoners deserve platforms which prioritise people, not just profit, where connection does not carry such a heavy cost.”

The mayor will warn that online misogyny risks “a lost generation of young men,” branding manosphere influencers “snake oil salesmen who take advantage of young men’s ambition to peddle pound-shop misogyny,” and calling on tech companies to explain how misogyny spreads on their platforms and adjust their algorithms to stop it.

Mr Khan will announce a £1 million package of measures, including support for vulnerable boys in schools and pupil referral units, and funding for a new programme for fathers and footballing mentors in communities across the capital.

The announcement follows the closure last week of the government’s consultation on children’s online experiences.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has promised “game-changer” action but has stopped short of committing to anything specific.