British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced a ban on social media sites for under-16s as the United Kingdom plans to join a growing list of countries that place online restrictions on children.
The sweeping changes will reflect Britain’s values, help to protect children online and push back against the power of big technology companies, Starmer said at a news conference on Monday.
“It is clear to me a full ban is the right choice,” he told reporters.
“This will change the conversations that parents have and the expectations of children over time. It will make a huge difference. It will make our children safer. It will make our children happier. It will give them more time, more security, more freedom to grow up, more opportunity.”
The government said the ban will “include platforms like Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and X” but not messaging services such as WhatsApp.
“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 anything about? No, so we’re taking action on that,” Starmer said.
The prime minister warned that social media platforms are “exposing them to content that is dangerous” and “designed to be addictive”.
Starmer said the upcoming ban was influenced by the experience of Australia, which in December became the first nation to ban people under 16 from social media.
The announcement follows a government-led consultation where British teenagers trialled social media bans and time limits on apps.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for YouTube responded with a warning that such a blanket ban would push children towards “less safe services”.
Starmer said that the government was “taking action” on gaming services and live streaming platforms that allow strangers to contact children.
He added he hoped to pass the regulation by late December and for the ban to come into force in spring next year.
