LONDON (AP) — Britain will prohibit children under 16 from using a range of social media platforms including Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube, Prime Minister Keir Starmer declared on Monday. The move aims to shield young people from harmful content and excessive screen time.
Prime Minister's Announcement
Starmer told a news conference that he will push back if technology companies resist the measure, and acknowledged that some teenagers would attempt to circumvent the ban. However, he stated he is "not prepared to compromise on the safety and happiness of our children."
"Every parent can see it with their own eyes. Social media is making children unhappy," said Starmer, who has two teenage children. "I’ve heard first hand from families crying out for change and we will do right by them."
Details of the Ban
The ban, expected to take effect early next year, positions the U.K. as part of a growing global movement to tighten online safety for children. Australia, Canada, Brazil, and Indonesia have introduced legislation or announced age-based restrictions for children’s social media access. France, Spain, Denmark, Thailand, and South Korea are among others studying or developing similar approaches.
The U.K. plans to follow the same model as Australia, which last year became the first country to bar under-16s from holding social media accounts. Platforms that fail to take reasonable steps to exclude children younger than 16 could face multimillion-dollar fines.
The ban will apply to platforms including Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and X, but not YouTube Kids or messaging services like WhatsApp and Signal. Starmer stressed that enforcement action will target tech companies, not children.
The prime minister also indicated he will go further than Australia’s measures. The government will act to prevent strangers from contacting children on gaming and livestreaming platforms. Authorities are considering additional measures including overnight curfews and breaks in infinite scrolling for those under 18. More details are expected next month.
Mixed Reactions to the Announcement
The decision follows a public comment period in which the government received 116,000 responses from parents, the tech industry, and children. The number of responses was second only to one seeking input about same-sex marriage in 2012. The vast majority of respondents — more than 90% — wanted an under-16 ban, the government said.
Esther Ghey, whose 16-year-old daughter Brianna was killed in 2023 by two teenagers who had accessed harmful content online, said the ban would "potentially save so many children’s lives," but must be accompanied by other measures.
The NSPCC, a leading children’s charity, praised the government’s ambition but urged authorities to ensure platforms roll out "robust age checks" and effectively enforce the policy.
Others are more skeptical. Critics including the Open Rights Group have expressed concerns about age verification companies and how users’ private data is protected.
Reacting on Monday, a spokesperson for YouTube warned that a blanket social media restriction could "push kids out of such curated, supervised, beneficial experiences and towards anonymous, less-safe services."
Starmer acknowledged the challenges but said success for the ban would mean "a massive drop off of children on social media" and "a cultural change, a sense that actually you can grow up differently."
Starmer, elected just under two years ago, is under pressure to step down from members of his own party over what they see as poor leadership and could face a leadership challenge in the coming days or weeks. He is seeking to bring in consequential measures that can serve as a legacy.
U.S. Opposition
The ban could further inflame tensions with the U.S., which has warned that regulations should be narrow and not violate free speech protections, according to a statement from the U.S. Embassy in London. It said it was also concerned that regulations would place greater burdens on American technology companies.
Starmer said he expected to discuss the issue with U.S. President Donald Trump and other world leaders at a Group of Seven summit in France that starts Monday. "I honestly think that across world leaders, there has always been a recognition that leaders have to take steps to protect children," he said. "I don’t think that’s controversial. There will always be arguments as to exactly what the limits of that are and what rules should be in place, but I don’t see that as a problem."
Jon Crowcroft, a communications systems professor at the University of Cambridge, said people supporting social bans are well-meaning but probably misguided, and changes could prevent children from accessing sites they need. "There is a real risk this will drive some users to worse sites and policing devices is close to impossible technically," Crowcroft said. "Policing platforms is far easier, if only regulators would bother."
