TWO in three youngsters think their peers will find a way around the government’s social media ban, a survey reveals.

Aimed at protecting children online, under-16s will be banned from using major social media platforms — Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube (excluding YouTube Kids), Instagram, Facebook and X — by spring 2027.

Some 88 per cent of 12- to 15-year-olds polled said they now feel confident speaking to a trusted adult with concerns about online safety; this fell to 76 per cent when asked if there was a ban in place and they stayed on social media, according to findings published by the Molly Rose Foundation today.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham pledged last week that there will be no watering down as he vowed to “lead from the front” on the issue.

Kate Edwards, from the foundation, said: “The ban alone will not protect young people from online harm and this is something that should concern us all.”

The charity was set up in memory of 14-year-old Molly Russell, who took her own life in 2017 after viewing harmful content online.