U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer is set to announce a prohibition on social media access for individuals under 16 years of age, according to various reports.
The government had been exploring the possibility of such a ban, and both the Guardian and the Financial Times have indicated that Starmer will formally present the initiative during a speech on Monday.
Sources within the government have informed the Guardian that the proposed ban in the U.K. will mirror the measures taken in Australia, where platforms like TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Reddit, Facebook, X, Threads, Snapchat, Twitch, and Kick are unavailable to users under 16.
While certain applications, particularly gaming ones, won’t face outright prohibition, modifications will be necessary for younger users. Features like chatting with strangers would need to be disabled. Additionally, the policy aims to restrict users under 18 from engaging with romantic and sexual chatbots and seeks to curtail late-night browsing.
The U.K. government possesses existing regulatory powers to implement some components of the ban, although new legislation may also be necessary, as noted by the Guardian.
The U.K. joins several countries considering similar restrictions on social media use among youths, following Australia’s lead. Notably, the U.K. has already enacted an age verification law, aimed at enhancing the safety of minors online.
These proposed bans are part of a broader dialogue regarding the impact of social media on children and adolescents. For instance, the mother of murdered teenager Brianna Ghey has advocated for such a ban, stating that her daughter’s eating disorder and self-harming behavior were significantly worsened by the harmful content she encountered online.
However, the proposed measures have faced criticism for potentially infringing on user privacy and isolating children, all while offering uncertain benefits to their mental health.
Furthermore, age verification laws—already implemented in various U.S. states—have sparked concerns over threats to online privacy and anonymity, as their verification methods are not entirely reliable.
