British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced plans to ban children under the age of 16 from accessing major social media platforms, citing growing concerns over online safety, mental health, and exposure to harmful content.
Speaking at a press conference at Downing Street in central London on Monday, Starmer said the government would introduce legislation prohibiting children under 16 from using platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, YouTube and X.
According to the prime minister, the move is aimed at protecting young people from content that is both harmful and intentionally designed to be addictive.
“The government will ban access to social media for all children under the age of 16. These platforms are exposing them to content that is dangerous and designed to be addictive,” Starmer said.
He clarified that the proposed restrictions would not apply to messaging services such as WhatsApp.
Starmer expressed confidence that the legislation would be passed by late December, with the ban expected to take effect in the spring of next year.
The prime minister also signalled broader measures targeting online safety, revealing that the government plans to introduce world-leading regulations for gaming services and live-streaming platforms that allow interactions between children and strangers.
“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,” he said.
Under proposals currently being considered, the UK government may introduce overnight curfews for children using digital platforms and require breaks in infinite scrolling features for users under 18. Further details are expected to be announced in July.
The planned restrictions follow a government-led consultation in which British teenagers tested social media bans and app time limits. Officials said the experiences and feedback from young people played a significant role in shaping the policy.
The announcement has drawn mixed reactions from technology companies. A spokesperson for YouTube warned that a blanket ban could drive children towards less regulated and potentially less safe online services.
The UK’s proposed measures come amid a growing international push to strengthen online protections for minors. Last week, Canada’s culture minister introduced legislation that would prohibit children under 16 from holding social media accounts and require artificial intelligence chatbot providers to implement safeguards against harmful content.
The UK government has also intensified efforts to protect children from inappropriate material online. Last week, ministers directed technology companies, including Apple and Google, to introduce safety measures within three months to prevent children from sending, receiving, accessing or storing nude images on phones and tablets.
The proposed social media ban is expected to spark further debate over online safety, parental responsibility, digital rights and the role of technology companies in protecting young users.
