Key facts
- The UK government will ban social media access for individuals under 16, with the measure to take effect in spring 2027.
- Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced the ban, emphasizing child safety and happiness.
- Platforms including TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and X will be inaccessible to under-16s.
- Tech companies warned that a blanket ban could lead children to less safe, unregulated online environments.
- The US government favors parental controls and platform incentives over outright bans, citing concerns about compliance burdens on American companies.
The UK government has announced plans to ban social media access for children under the age of 16, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer stating the regulation aims to protect the safety and happiness of young people. The ban is slated to come into force in spring 2027, affecting millions of children.
Platforms such as TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and X will become inaccessible to individuals under 16. The government indicated that age verification measures might be implemented for users over 16. However, messaging applications like WhatsApp and Signal, as well as the online gaming platform Roblox, will not be subject to the ban. YouTube Kids is also exempt.
Tech companies, including Meta, Snapchat, and YouTube, have voiced concerns that a blanket ban could push children into more dangerous, unregulated online spaces. They argue that such measures might isolate teens from beneficial online communities and information. Snapchat stated it disagreed with a full ban, while YouTube highlighted its existing protections for teens and its role as a resource for young people and educators.
In addition to the outright ban for under-16s, the government is considering restrictions on certain features for 16 and 17-year-olds, such as infinite scroll and curfews. Furthermore, intimate and sexual chats with AI will be prohibited for all individuals under 18. The ban follows a three-month public consultation on digital safety for children, which received over 116,000 responses, with a significant majority of parents backing such restrictions.
The UK government will adopt Australia's definition of social media companies when determining which platforms are covered by the ban. Some research suggests that children have managed to circumvent similar restrictions in Australia. The US government, while emphasizing child online protection as a priority, has expressed reservations about outright bans, preferring to encourage parental controls and incentives for platforms to offer healthier options, such as chronological feeds and usage time limits. The US Mission to the UK noted concerns regarding potential disproportionate compliance burdens on American companies.