Britain announces sweeping social media ban for under-16s
While the ban will not be easy, the UK government has agency in pushing back against the power of big technology companies, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said.
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LONDON: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday (Jun 15) he would ban social media sites for the under-16s and impose restrictions on gaming and livestreaming platforms, in a fightback against big tech that goes further than any other country.
The sweeping changes will "give kids their childhood back", Starmer said, outlining measures against platforms including Snapchat, TikTok and Instagram, as well as gaming sites that allow strangers to communicate with children.
"It is clear to me a full ban is the right choice," he told a press conference.
"It will make a huge difference, it will make our children safer, it will make our children happier, it will give them more time, more security, more freedom to grow up, more opportunity."
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Britain will use a similar model to Australia, which enacted a ban last December, the government said.
It will cover platforms that also include YouTube, Facebook and X, but messaging services such as WhatsApp and Signal will not be included in the ban.
Britain will also introduce "world-leading blocks" on harmful functions such as livestreaming and communication with strangers for children for under-16.
"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 anything about? No, so we're taking action on that," Starmer said.
BAN IN PLACE BY NEXT SPRING?
The government already has the powers to take the first steps in any ban, Starmer said, with regulation to follow by the end of the year and a prohibition in place around next spring.
Britain has increasingly toughened its approach to tech companies in recent years, urging or forcing them to impose age verification, adapt their algorithms and, most recently, prevent children from circulating nude images taken on mobile phones.
But with a growing awareness of the mental health risks posed by children spending too much time online, Starmer has decided to go further after speaking to parents and considering evidence from Australia, which brought in a ban for under-16s last year.
How will the UK ban on social media for under-16s work?
The following details the entities being banned, how the measures will be enforced, and when they are expected to take effect, Reuters reported.
TIKTOK, YOUTUBE AND INSTAGRAM BANNED
The government said that it would block children from using social media platforms that enable user-to-user social interaction and allow users to post material with algorithms.
This means that the ban will include platforms such as Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X, the government added in a statement.
The government also said that it did not intend for messaging services such as WhatsApp or music streaming services to be included in the ban, and exemptions would be kept under review.
In addition, it would block livestreaming and communication with strangers for under-16s, including on gaming sites.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said this would prevent strangers from contacting children through these sites.
HOW WILL THE BAN BE ENFORCED?
Starmer said that the ban would be enforced through action against social media platforms, rather than seeking to fine children who find ways to circumvent it.
The government said that regulator Ofcom would conduct a rapid study to establish the best way to verify if someone is over 16, and that it would have a new enforcement strategy and funding.
WHEN IS THE BAN EXPECTED TO TAKE EFFECT?
Starmer said that he aimed to pass the relevant regulations before Christmas 2026 and have the ban come into force in early 2027.
A full response to the government's consultation on the issue will be published in July, fleshing out details of the policy.
CURFEWS, RESTRICTIONS ON SCROLLING
The government will also be looking in more detail at overnight curfews and breaks in infinite scrolling for under-18-year-olds, and will set out more details in the response next month.
Restrictions on functionalities banned for those under 16 would be applied by default for 16- and 17-year-olds, it added.
Starmer, who is likely to face a leadership challenge in the coming weeks, said people rightly expected action.
Australia was the first country to ban social media for children under 16, blocking them in December from platforms including TikTok, Alphabet's YouTube and Meta's Instagram and Facebook.
Since then, a raft of countries have said they are looking to regulate access to social media amid mounting concerns over the impact on children's health and safety.
EXTENSIVE CONSULTATIONS
Britain has consulted teachers, parents and young people on new restrictions, including a possible ban for under-16s, as well as curfews, app time limits and curbs on what the government has described as addictive design features.
It received more than 116,000 responses from parents, industry and young people.
More than 83 per cent of parents who responded said risks from social media outweighed benefits, while 90 per cent backed a minimum age of 16 to access social media platforms.
While many parents and politicians back a ban, some psychologists and researchers have said there is no proof that it would work, and a group of school children in London told Reuters they had a conflicted relationship with the technology.
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