British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on Monday that the UK plans to bar children under 16 from using social media platforms, calling it the world’s strictest online child safety initiative once implemented. The ban would apply to major services like TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, X, and YouTube, but exclude messaging apps such as WhatsApp. Additionally, AI romantic companion chatbots and “intimate features” on other bots would be off-limits to minors under 18.
The government intends to introduce legislation before Christmas, with the restrictions expected to take effect by spring 2027. While modeled after Australia’s ban from last December, the UK’s version would go further by introducing extra safeguards. Beyond the general prohibition, officials plan to block harmful functionalities—including live streaming and stranger-to-child communication—for users under 16, and these measures would also extend to gaming sites. The UK also aims to implement “highly effective age-verification” systems, surpassing Australia’s requirements, with the communications regulator tasked to present a plan by October. Additional rules, such as nighttime curfews and mandatory scrolling breaks for teens under 18, are expected next month.
Public consultations show strong support: nine out of ten of the 116,000 surveyed parents backed the ban. A study from Australia revealed that while nearly half of parents said their children had regulated accounts before the prohibition, about 31% still maintained them afterward—largely because tech firms failed to request age verification. Starmer stated he has heard families demanding change and believes the comprehensive approach addresses not just where harm occurs but how children experience it online. Technology Secretary Liz Kendall added that tech companies had ample opportunity to reform and failed, making the ban necessary.
The UK joins a growing global movement: Spain, the Netherlands, France, Malaysia, and Turkey have either enacted or are pursuing similar age restrictions. However, critics like Amnesty International UK argue the policy misdiagnoses the issue—platforms, not children’s presence, are the problem—and advocate for regulating tech companies instead of excluding minors. Privacy concerns also loom large, and analysts note that Prime Minister Starmer’s political vulnerability could threaten the ban’s passage, with some suggesting his government may struggle to advance the initiative amid current instability.