UK bans social media for children under 16

The British government is banning access to social media for children under 16, joining just a few countries across the globe trying to protect kids online through a strict age-based restriction on certain applications and platforms.

The move, announced Monday by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, makes the United Kingdom the fifth nation to pursue an all-out ban on social media for young kids and teenagers. Australia became the first in the world to implement an under-16 ban late last year, followed by Indonesia, while countries including Brazil and Canada have introduced legislation for similar provisions.

Starmer said he is “not prepared to compromise on the safety and happiness of our children,” citing his own experiences as a young adult and now as a parent of two.

“This is not something I do lightly,” Starmer said. “And I will not present it as cost-free, as if social media has brought no benefits to young people because clearly that is wrong. But government is always about choices. ”

“Social media is making our children unhappy and unsafe, and as a parent, as much as a prime minister, I just can’t let that go on anymore,” he added in a separate social media video.

The ban will apply for digital platforms including X, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube, but also gaming services and livestreaming platforms. Starmer noted enforcement of the ban will apply to platforms, not to young Britons who may try to circumvent the ban.

Starmer acknowledged this could go further than Australia, which was the first nation ever to ban social media for kids younger than 16. Ten platforms are subjected to the ban and face fines up to $32.99 million if they do not take steps to remove accounts for users under 16.

The United Kingdom’s decision follows a public comment period in which “thousands” of parents reported social media addiction, according to Starmer.

More than 90 percent of respondents in a public comment period said they supported an under-16 ban, according to the government, The Associated Press reported.

Social media “can leave them trapped in a cycle of endless scrolling that displaces play, sleep, and time with the family,” Starmer said.

“It could harm their mental health,” Starmer said, adding the U.K. examined evidence before making the decision and plans to “learn from other countries.”

Starmer predicted the decision will be resisted by major technology companies, but he maintained Great Britain will “take them on and we will win.”

The move comes less than a week after the Trump administration sent a letter to the U.K. urging it not to enact such a prohibition. Instead of a formal ban, the U.S. Embassy in London encouraged parents to manage their children’s privacy settings and push “study modes” and time control while shying away from official restrictions to technology.

The U.S. is home to some of the world’s largest social media companies, including all of the platforms expected to be subject to the ban.

When asked numerous times about what the U.S. and President Trump will think about the social media ban, Starmer told reporters, “This is about fighting for what we think is right.”

“Look, I honestly think that across world leaders there’s always been a recognition that leaders have to take steps to protect children,” Starmer added. “I don’t think that’s controversial, but there’ll always be arguments as to exactly what the limits of that are and what rules should be in place, but I don’t see that as a problem.”

“I do not accept, and I will never accept, that you can’t be both pro tech and AI and, at the same time, say we must protect our children,” he said earlier in the press conference.