UK PM announces ban on social media for under-16s

n n

Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer attends a press conference at Downing Street in central London on June 15, 2026, to announce government action to protect children online. (Photo by CARLOS JASSO / POOL / AFP)

n

Children under 16 will be banned from using social media in the UK, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on Monday, saying such platforms were making youngsters “unhappy”.

n

Some children’s charities welcomed the sweeping change, which is likely to trigger a major fight with US tech giants, but others warned it could make teenagers less safe online.

n

Starmer, likely to face a leadership challenge in the coming weeks, said social media sites were exposing children to content that is “dangerous” and “designed to be addictive”.

n

The ban will “include platforms like Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X” but not messaging services such as WhatsApp, the government said.

n

Some young people gave a mixed response to the move.

n

“I think it’s a good thing, to be honest, because I don’t even remember what age I was when I got Instagram, but it was just way too early,” student Connie Skitt, 19, told AFP in Buxton, central England.

n

“You’re making friends with people you don’t know. It’s like, not that safe.”

n

But 18-year-old tour guide Tom Warvell expressed concerns that 16 was “a little bit high”, arguing younger teens were “a better age to focus on”.

n

“Times have changed so it is important for people to still be able to use it.”

n

– Australian example –

n

Starmer said the upcoming ban was influenced by the experience of Australia, which in December became the first nation to ban people under 16 from social media.

n

The UK leader said he hoped to pass the regulation by late December and for the ban to come into force within months next year.

n

He suggested that YouTube Kids, Lego Play and Google Classroom would not be prohibited.

n

The government said it would also consider overnight curfews and breaks in infinite scrolling for minors, and would announce more detail in July.

n

Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese welcomed the move on X, saying: “Social media giants operate across borders. By standing together, we can do more to hold them accountable and keep children safe online.”

n

Canada and France are among other countries considering similar bans, while Indonesia began enforcing its ban for users under 16 in March.

n

Britain’s ban could anger US President Donald Trump after the US embassy in London earlier this month came out against “broad social media bans”.

n

Starmer’s announcement follows a government-led consultation where British teenagers trialled social media bans and time limits on apps.

n

The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children insisted the policy must include “robust age checks on platforms” and “an effective enforcement regime”.

n

But Save The Children UK voiced concerns that a ban “pushes children into less regulated spaces, where they are less likely to seek help when something goes wrong”.

n

– Blocking ‘harmful functions’ –

n

A YouTube spokesperson warned a blanket ban would push children towards “less safe services”.

n

Meanwhile the government also said it would block “harmful functions” on gaming services and live streaming platforms allowing strangers to contact children.

n

“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,” Starmer said, without giving details.

n

The British consultation, which closed in late May, attracted about 116,000 contributions — the second-largest response ever received under the consultation system.

n

More than four-fifths of responding parents said social media’s risks outweighed the benefits for children, with 91 percent backing a minimum age of 16.

n

The UK announcement comes a week after the government said tech giants must stop children in Britain from being able to send and receive nude images on their devices.

n

Britain’s interior ministry said it was giving companies, including Apple and Google, three months to introduce safety features to block children from taking and accessing naked photos on phones and tablets.

n

If they failed to do so, the government would introduce legislation forcing them to activate the technology, it warned.

n

According to analysis by the Internet Watch Foundation charity cited by the government, 91 percent of online child sexual abuse reports recorded in 2024 contained self-generated content from children themselves.

n n