Children under 16 are to be banned from using social media in the UK, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced yesterday, saying such platforms were making young people “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 said social media sites were exposing children to content that is “dangerous” and “designed to be addictive.”
Photo: Bloomberg
The ban it to “include platforms like Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X,” but not messaging services such as WhatsApp, the government said.
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.
He added during a news conference in Downing Street that he hoped to pass the regulation by late December and for the ban to come into force in spring next year. He suggested that YouTube Kids, Lego Play and Google Classroom would not be prohibited.
The government said in a statement it is also considering overnight curfews and breaks in infinite scrolling for minors, and would announce more details next month.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese welcomed the move in a post 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.”
Starmer’s announcement follows a government-led consultation where teenagers trialed social media bans and time limits on apps.
The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children called the ban “a win” for children and parents, but said that it must be followed up with “robust age checks on platforms” and “an effective enforcement regime.”
Save The Children UK’s senior adviser Jeffrey DeMarco said his charity was concerned a ban “pushes children into less regulated spaces, where they are less likely to seek help when something goes wrong.”
A spokesperson for YouTube responded with a warning that such a blanket ban would push children towards “less safe services.”
The government also said it would block “harmful functions” on gaming services and live-streaming platforms allowing strangers to contact children.
“Is there a situation in the offline world where you would just let your child pair up with a stranger? An adult that you don’t know about? No. So we’re taking action on that,” Starmer said, without giving details.
The UK government’s consultation on the issue, which closed late last month, attracted about 116,000 contributions, making it the second-largest response ever received.
More than 83 percent of parents who responded said the risks posed by social media outweighed the benefits for children, with 91 percent backing a minimum age of 16.
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