UK To Ban Under-16s From Social Media; Tighten Rules On Gaming & Livestreaming

Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on Monday that the United Kingdom will ban children under the age of 16 from accessing social media platforms, adding restrictions on gaming, livestreaming and communication with strangers that extend beyond Australia's landmark legislation.

Platforms likely to be affected include TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, Facebook and X, as per CNBC. The government aims to pass legislation before Christmas, with the ban expected to come into force in spring 2027. Beyond the core age restriction, the proposals include blocking livestreaming and communication with strangers for users under 16, while similar protections would be enabled by default for 16 and 17-year-olds. The government is also considering overnight curfews and limits on infinite scrolling for minors.

Starmer framed the announcement in explicitly moral terms, saying the measure was about whose side the government was on — families or a status quo that was not working. "Social media is making children unhappy, it's making it easier for bullies to harass and abuse them, and it could even be harming their mental health," he said at a Downing Street press conference attended by campaigners and parents who had lost children to social media-related harms.

He acknowledged the policy would not be easy to implement or enforce, and conceded it was not cost-free given the genuine benefits social media had brought young people. But he drew a pointed comparison to alcohol regulation when critics argued teenagers would find ways around the ban. "We don't say, 'Oh, look, a teenager managed to get a drink somehow, so let's not bother banning alcohol sales for children,'" he said.

Tech Giants Push Back

YouTube said it had spent more than a decade building age-appropriate experiences and argued that blanket bans would push children away from curated, supervised environments towards "anonymous, less safe services." Technology Secretary Liz Kendall was dismissive of the industry's objections. "Tech companies have had countless opportunities to keep children safe, yet they have failed to act. That is why we are taking power away from the tech giants and putting it back in parents' hands," she told CNBC.

A government consultation found that nine in ten parents backed a minimum age of 16 for social media access. The UK joins a growing international movement — Australia, Canada, Brazil and Indonesia have introduced or proposed similar restrictions, while France, Spain, Denmark, Thailand and South Korea are considering comparable measures.

The announcement carries political undertones as well. Starmer, who is widely expected to face a leadership challenge before long, presented the ban as a defining legacy commitment. "I am not prepared to compromise on the safety and happiness of our children, and that is why this ban must happen, and that is why this ban will happen," he said.