British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday announced plans for a total ban on social media use for children under the age of 16, saying such platforms are “making children unhappy”.
Starmer said the government “will ban access to social media for all children under the age of 16”, warning that the platforms are “exposing them to content that is dangerous” and “designed to be addictive”.
He explained that the proposed restriction would cover platforms such as Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X, but would exclude messaging services like WhatsApp.
The prime minister added that he hoped to finalise the regulation by December, with implementation expected in the spring of next year.
He also disclosed that the government would go further by introducing “world-leading action on gaming services and live streaming platforms”.
According to a government statement, additional measures under consideration include overnight curfews and restrictions on infinite scrolling for under-18s, with further details expected in July.
Starmer said the policy was informed by Australia, which in December became the first country to ban under-16s from social media.
The announcement follows a government consultation in which British teenagers tested social media bans and app time limits.
A spokesperson for YouTube warned that a blanket ban could push children toward “less safe services”.
Starmer also said the government was acting on gaming and live-streaming platforms that allow contact between children and strangers.
“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,” he said, without giving further details.
The UK consultation on the issue, which closed in late May, received about 116,000 submissions, making it the second-largest response ever recorded. Over 83 per cent of parents said the risks of social media outweigh the benefits for children, while 91 per cent supported a minimum age of 16.
The announcement also comes a week after the UK government said tech companies must prevent children from sending or receiving nude images on their devices.
The Home Office gave companies including Apple and Google three months to introduce safety features to block access to explicit images, warning that legislation would follow if they failed to comply.
Starmer’s Labour government said tech firms have a “moral responsibility” to “protect children from coercion, abuse and sextortion”.
Officials also said planned legal changes would restrict children’s access to pornography and make it harder for online predators to target minors.
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