Britain to ban social media for under-16s

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced a sweeping ban on social media use for those under 16, joining other countries around the world seeking to protect children online.

“It’s a big step for our country,” Starmer said in a recorded video message released Monday. “Social media is making our children unhappy and unsafe, and as a parent, as much as a Prime Minister, I just can’t let that go on anymore.”

The ban will cover platforms including Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X. Messaging services such as WhatsApp and Signal will not be affected.

The move comes as governments worldwide face growing pressure to limit children’s exposure to social media and address concerns over its impact on mental and physical health.

Momentum for stricter regulation increased after Australia became the first country to pass legislation preventing children under 16 from accessing major social media platforms.

The announcement follows a national consultation that received more than 116,000 responses between March and May, seeking public views on children’s use of technology.

According to the consultation, more than 83% of parents said the risks of social media outweigh the benefits, while 90% supported setting 16 as the minimum age for access to social media platforms.

Enforcing age restrictions remains a challenge, as children often find ways around limits imposed by technology companies.

The British government described the policy as a landmark move, with legislation expected to be presented to Parliament before Christmas and protections likely to take effect next spring.

In addition to the social media ban, the measures will block features such as livestreaming and communication between children and strangers for users under 16.

“It’s not an easy thing to do,” Starmer said. “We haven’t rushed into it. We’ve looked carefully at the evidence and will continue adapting our approach as technology changes, learning from other countries taking similar steps.”

He acknowledged that the policy would face opposition from some of the world’s most powerful technology companies but insisted the government would press ahead.

“We will take them on, and we will win, because the need for action could not be any clearer,” he said.

Australia has faced difficulties enforcing its own restrictions since they came into effect. A report by the country’s eSafety Commission found that seven in ten parents said their children still maintained accounts on newly restricted platforms.

The U.K. government has also launched a £132.5 million “Every Child Can” programme aimed at funding sports, arts and nature-based activities in schools and local communities as alternatives to excessive screen time.

Last week, Starmer urged technology companies, including Apple and Google, to introduce safeguards that would prevent children from taking, sharing or viewing nude images. Companies have been given three months to implement the measures before legislation is introduced.

The government said the initiative is intended to prevent online predators from exploiting children and to reduce access to pornography. Adults will still be able to access such content through age-verification processes.

Apple has already introduced age-verification checks for U.K.-based iPhone and iPad users, requiring age confirmation through identification, credit cards or automatic content-filtering systems.

In the United States, major social media companies continue to face lawsuits alleging they contributed to mental health problems among children and failed to adequately protect young users from online predators.

Many proposed restrictions rely on mandatory age verification, which may involve government-issued identification or artificial intelligence systems capable of estimating age through facial analysis.

Supporters argue such measures are necessary to protect children from harmful online content, while critics raise concerns about privacy and freedom of expression.