UK Plans Social Media Ban for Under-16s

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced plans to bar anyone under 16 from using social media and to extend restrictions to gaming and livestreaming platforms. He said it would be one of the world’s broadest limits on children’s internet use so far, while messaging apps such as WhatsApp and Signal would be exempt.

Starmer said at a press conference, “It is clear to me that a complete ban is the right choice.” He argued it would make children safer and happier, giving them “more time, more confidence, more freedom to grow and more opportunities.” He also said the government would act against services that let children talk to strangers online, asking, “Would you, in the offline world, let your child connect with a stranger, an adult you know nothing about? No, so we are taking action on this.”

The government says it already has some powers to begin the process, with regulation due to be finished by the end of this year and the ban expected to take effect around next spring. Britain has recently tightened oversight of tech companies, requiring age verification, algorithm changes, and measures to stop children from sharing nude images taken on phones.

The move follows broad consultation with teachers, parents, and teenagers, receiving more than 116,000 responses. More than 83% of responding parents said social media risks outweighed the benefits, and 90% backed a minimum age of 16. Starmer said he also examined Australia’s approach, after Canberra became the first country to ban under-16s from platforms such as TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook in December. Some psychologists and researchers remain skeptical, saying there is no proof a blanket ban works and that teenagers can bypass many restrictions with tools such as VPNs. In a BBC segment at a school, no students raised their hands in support of the plan, and one girl said she would spend her free time “looking at the wall.”