Under 16 Year Olds In UK To Be Banned From Social Media

Children under 16 will be banned from accessing a range of social media platforms in the UK under plans announced by Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

The restrictions are expected to take effect early next year, although Starmer has not yet confirmed which apps will be covered.

Announcing what he described as a “world-leading” measure, Starmer said he was “not prepared to compromise on the safety and happiness of our children”.

The government says technology companies will be required to take reasonable steps to prevent children from accessing social media, using age assurance tools such as facial or voice recognition, government identification checks and age inference technologies.

The UK joins a growing international movement to tighten online protections for young people.

Australia, Canada, Brazil and Indonesia have already introduced legislation or announced age-based restrictions on children’s access to social media.

Spain, Denmark and South Korea are considering similar measures, while France continues to debate whether to ban social media entirely for teenagers or focus on specific platforms.

Starmer said the UK would go further than Australia’s under-16 social media ban, suggesting additional measures could include curfews for older teenagers and restrictions on AI chatbots.

The decision follows a public consultation that received 116,000 responses from parents, children and representatives of the technology industry.

According to Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, 90% of parents supported a ban for under-16s. However, critics warn the policy could push children towards unregulated websites.

Professor Jon Crowcroft of the University of Cambridge said there is a risk young users will seek alternative routes online, while enforcing restrictions on personal devices remains technically challenging.

#MaltaDaily