British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced plans to ban children under the age of 16 from accessing social media platforms, arguing that the sites are harming young people’s wellbeing and exposing them to dangerous content.
Speaking about the proposed legislation, Starmer said the government would introduce a “total ban” on social media use for under-16s, covering major platforms including Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X.
“These platforms are making children unhappy,” Starmer said. He added that they were “exposing them to content that is dangerous” and were “designed to be addictive”.
Under the proposals, messaging services such as WhatsApp would be exempt from the restrictions.
The British government hopes to pass the legislation by the end of December, with the ban expected to take effect in spring next year.
The announcement marks one of the most far-reaching attempts by a major Western government to limit children’s access to social media and follows a growing international push to tighten online safety regulations.
Starmer said the move was partly inspired by Australia, which became the first country to introduce a nationwide ban on social media access for under-16s.
The government also signalled plans to expand restrictions beyond social media. Starmer said ministers were preparing “world-leading action on gaming services and live streaming platforms”, particularly those that allow children to interact with strangers online.
“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.
Officials are also considering overnight social media curfews and measures to limit infinite scrolling for users under 18, with further details expected next month.
The proposals follow a government consultation that attracted around 116,000 responses, making it the second-largest public consultation in UK history. According to government figures, more than 83% of parents who responded said the risks of social media outweighed the benefits for children, while 91% supported setting a minimum age of 16.
The latest announcement comes days after the government ordered technology companies to introduce stronger protections to prevent children from sending, receiving or accessing nude images on their devices.
Britain’s interior ministry has given firms, including Apple and Google, three months to implement safety features or face legislation compelling them to do so.
Starmer’s Labour government said technology companies have a “moral responsibility” to protect children from “coercion, abuse and sextortion”.
According to government-cited analysis by the Internet Watch Foundation, 91% of online child sexual abuse reports recorded two years ago involved self-generated content created by children.
The proposed restrictions have already drawn criticism from some technology companies. A spokesperson for YouTube warned that a blanket ban could push young people towards “less safe services”.
The UK joins a growing number of countries moving to restrict children’s online activity. Canada recently introduced legislation that would prohibit under-16s from holding social media accounts, while Indonesia began enforcing a similar ban earlier this year. Several European governments are also considering comparable measures.
