Sunday Ehigiator
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced plans to ban children under the age of 16 from accessing major social media platforms, in what the government describes as one of the world’s toughest efforts to protect young people from harmful online content.
The proposed legislation, expected to be introduced before the end of the year and implemented from 2027, will restrict access to platforms including YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat and X, while also imposing tighter controls on online gaming, livestreaming services and interactions between children and strangers.
Starmer said the move was driven by growing evidence that social media platforms were negatively affecting children’s mental health and exposing them to addictive and harmful content.
Starmer, in a televised address yesterday, argued the government could no longer ignore the risks facing young people online and pledged what officials described as “world-leading action” to strengthen digital safety protections.
Under the proposals, messaging services such as WhatsApp are expected to remain exempt. The government is also considering additional safeguards, including overnight curfews for young users and measures to curb infinite scrolling features on platforms used by minors. Further details are expected to be unveiled in July.
The announcement follows a government consultation involving teenagers who tested social media restrictions and app-based time-limit tools.
Officials said overwhelming support was also received from parents, with many calling for stronger measures to limit children’s exposure to online harms.
Starmer said the UK’s approach was partly influenced by developments in Australia, which became the first nation to ban social media access for users under 16 in December.
However, Britain plans to go further by restricting livestreaming and online interactions between children and strangers across gaming platforms and other digital services.
“We’re not prepared to stand by while harmful content and addictive online experiences continue to affect our children,” Starmer said, adding that stronger safeguards were needed to ensure young people were protected in the digital world just as they are in physical spaces.
The Prime Minister acknowledged that some children might still find ways to bypass the restrictions but insisted that this should not prevent government action.
He compared the proposed ban to existing laws that prohibit the sale of alcohol to minors, arguing that enforcement challenges do not invalidate the need for regulation.
The move comes amid growing international momentum for stricter controls on children’s social media use.
Countries including Canada and Indonesia have recently introduced or proposed similar restrictions, while several European nations are considering comparable measures.
If approved, the legislation would position Britain among the global leaders in efforts to regulate children’s access to social media and reshape online safety standards for the digital age.