U.K. to Ban Social Media for Teens Under 16

The U.K. is moving ahead with a social media ban for teenagers under 16, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on Monday.

If passed in parliament, the ban will go into effect by spring 2027. The platforms to be banned for under-16s include Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X. WhatsApp and Signal will not be part of the ban.

In making the announcement, Starmer said that the ban was due to the negative impact social media can have on children, including bullying and that it is “designed to be addictive,” according to the BBC. The ban follows similar legislation introduced in Australia, Indonesia and France earlier this year.

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“A full ban is the right choice… I am not prepared to compromise on the safety and happiness of our children,” Starmer said in a speech at Downing Street, adding that parents “want to know that Britain will be better for their children, that they will get a fair chance.”

In addition to restricting certain platforms, the ban will block “harmful functions such as livestreaming and stranger communication with children for under-16s,” the government said in a statement obtained by the BBC. “These restrictions – which together with the ban go further than any other country – will apply to a wider range of online services, including on gaming sites.” These sites have not yet been specified.

The government will also be looking into “overnight curfews and breaks in infinite scrolling for under-18-year-olds,” the statement continued, with more detail on those potential restrictions coming next month.