Monday, June 15, 2026 - 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.
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