British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has confirmed that children under the age of 16 will be barred from accessing a range of social media platforms in the United Kingdom. The measure, which Starmer says will take effect early next year, places the UK alongside Australia, Canada, Brazil, and Indonesia in a growing global push to tighten online safety for minors.
Speaking in London, Starmer did not immediately specify which apps would be covered but warned that he would push back against technology companies that resist compliance. “I am not prepared to compromise on the safety and happiness of our children,” he said.
A More Prohibitive Approach Than Australia
Starmer described the UK’s plan as “world-leading” and suggested it would be more restrictive than the Australian-style ban, which took effect in December. Under Australia’s law, children under 16 are prohibited from using platforms such as TikTok, X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Snapchat, with fines of up to A$49.5 million (€30.2 million) for serious or repeated breaches by companies.
The UK will go further, Starmer said, by introducing curfews for older teenagers and imposing restrictions on AI chatbots. The government has urged firms to deploy age assurance technologies—such as face or voice recognition, government IDs, or “age inference” protections—before allowing logins.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, who oversaw a public comment period that drew 116,000 responses from parents, the tech industry, and children, said 90% of respondents supported an under-16 ban. “A ban should be part of other measures,” Nandy added, emphasising a comprehensive approach to child safety.
The announcement comes as Starmer faces pressure from members of his own party to step down over perceived poor leadership. The ban also risks further straining UK-US relations, as American tech giants may resist the new rules. Critics warn that children could turn to backdoor access methods rather than official sites.
Other European countries are watching closely. Spain, Denmark, and South Korea are still studying or developing similar legislation, while France has been debating whether to ban all social media for teens or target specific platforms. The UK’s move could influence these debates, particularly as the European Union considers its own Digital Services Act enforcement.
For now, the UK’s ban marks a significant step in the continent’s evolving approach to digital regulation. As EU foreign policy faces its own structural challenges, the social media ban underscores a broader European push to assert control over the digital sphere.
