UK announces ban on social media for under-16s

Children under 16 will be banned from using social media in the UK, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on Monday, saying such platforms were making youngsters “unhappy”.

Some children’s charities welcomed the sweeping change, which is likely to trigger a major fight with US tech giants, but others warned it could make teenagers less safe online.

Starmer, likely to face a leadership challenge in the coming weeks, said social media sites were exposing children to content that is “dangerous” and “designed to be addictive”.

The ban will “include platforms like Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X” but not messaging services such as WhatsApp, the government said.

Young people gave a mixed response.

“I think it’s a good thing, to be honest, because I don’t even remember what age I was when I got Instagram, but it was just way too early,” student Connie Skitt, 19, told AFP in Buxton, central England.

“You’re making friends with people you don’t know. It’s like, not that safe.”

But 18-year-old tour guide Tom Warvell expressed concerns that 16 was “a little bit high”, arguing younger teens were “a better age to focus on”.

“Times have changed so it is important for people to still be able to use it.”

Australian example

Starmer said the upcoming ban was influenced by the experience of Australia, which in December became the first nation to ban people under 16 from social media.

The UK leader said he hoped to pass the regulation by late December and for the ban to come into force within months next year.

He suggested that YouTube Kids, Lego Play and Google Classroom would not be prohibited.

Meanwhile, “harmful functions” on gaming services and live streaming platforms allowing strangers to contact children will be blocked.

The government said it would also consider overnight curfews and breaks in infinite scrolling for minors, and would announce more detail in July.

Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese welcomed the move on X, saying: “Social media giants operate across borders. By standing together, we can do more to hold them accountable and keep children safe online.”

Canada and France are among other countries considering similar bans, while Indonesia began enforcing its ban for users under 16 in March.

Britain’s ban could anger US President Donald Trump after the US embassy in London earlier this month came out against “broad social media bans”.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who have campaigned globally on the issue — with the duchess claiming earlier this year she was “the most trolled person in the entire world” — welcomed the UK move.

But in a statement they noted: “Lasting change requires safer platforms by design, meaningful accountability, and a commitment to putting children’s wellbeing ahead of engagement and profit.”

‘Less safe’

Starmer’s announcement follows a government-led consultation where British teenagers trialled social media bans and time limits on apps.

It attracted about 116,000 contributions — the second-largest response ever received under the consultation system.

More than four-fifths of responding parents said social media’s risks outweighed the benefits for children, with 91 percent backing a minimum age of 16.

But Save The Children UK voiced concerns that a ban “pushes children into less regulated spaces, where they are less likely to seek help when something goes wrong”.

The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children insisted the policy must include “robust age checks on platforms” and “an effective enforcement regime”.

A TikTok spokesman said the firm shares “the government’s goal of safe online experiences for teens”, noting its young people accounts have more than 50 preset safety and privacy settings.

“We look forward to collaborating constructively with the government on this important issue,” he added.

A YouTube spokesperson warned a blanket ban would push children towards “less safe services”.

It comes a week after the government said tech giants must stop children in Britain from being able to send and receive nude images on their devices.

Britain’s interior ministry said it was giving companies, including Apple and Google, three months to introduce safety features to block children from taking and accessing naked photos on phones and tablets.

If they failed to do so, the government would introduce legislation forcing them to activate the technology, it warned.