UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced a comprehensive ban on social media platforms for children under 16, a move that places the United Kingdom among a growing list of nations imposing online restrictions on minors.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Starmer said the sweeping changes would reflect British values, help protect children online, and push back against the power of big tech companies.
“For me, it’s clear that a comprehensive ban is the right choice,” the Prime Minister told reporters. “This will change the conversations that parents have and the expectations children have over time. It will make a big difference. It will keep our children safer, happier, give them more time, more security, more freedom to grow up, and more opportunity.”
Alongside banning platforms like TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram, Starmer said his government would take action against gaming and live-streaming services that allow children to talk to strangers.
“Is there any situation in the offline world where you would let your child pair up with a stranger, an adult you know nothing about? No. So, we are acting on that,” Starmer said.
The Prime Minister warned that social media platforms are “exposing children to dangerous content” and “are designed to be addictive.”
Starmer hopes to pass the regulation before the end of December so the ban takes effect next spring. The UK government said in a statement it would also consider overnight curfews and measures to stop endless scrolling for under-18s, with further details to be announced in July.
The upcoming ban draws on Australia's experience, which in December last year became the first country to ban under-16s from social media. Last week, Canada's culture minister introduced a bill to ban under-16s from having social media accounts and require AI chatbot platforms to limit harmful content generation.
The UK announcement follows government-led consultations during which British teenagers tested social media bans and screen time limits. A YouTube spokesperson responded with a warning that such a sweeping ban would push children toward “less safe services.”
