Social media to be banned for under-16s Across UK

Children will be given back their childhoods thanks to government action to ban social media platforms from offering services to under-16s, with less time for scrolling and more time for play.

The plans will set a new normal for future generations, kickstarting a cultural shift and driving forward the government’s fight to give every child the best start in life.

The government plans to use the same model for a social media ban as Australia. This would capture user-to-user platforms, whose purpose is to enable social interaction and which allow users to post material, alongside algorithms. The ban will therefore include platforms like Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X. We do not intend for messaging services like WhatsApp and Signal to be included in the social media ban.

In a move to protect children online and address the scale of the challenge, the government will also go further than a blanket ban on social media with world-leading blocks on harmful functions such as livestreaming and stranger communication with children for under-16s. These restrictions – which together with the ban go further than any other country – will apply to a wider range of online services, including on gaming sites.

Restrictions on these functionalities will also be on by default for under 16- and 17-year-olds to prevent a cliff-edge at 16. The government will also be looking in more detail at overnight curfews and breaks in infinite scrolling for under-18-year-olds and will set out more detail in July.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

Parents want to keep their kids safe and happy, but the online world has made that harder than ever.

I’ve heard first hand from families crying out for change and we will do right by them.

That’s why we’re going further than any country in the world by banning social media for under-16s and putting wider protections in place to give kids their childhood back.

This is a line in the sand. Tech giants had their chance and failed, but we’re stepping in to protect children, back parents and set a new normal for future generations.

So-called AI ‘romantic companion’ chatbots – designed to simulate sexual relationships or roleplay with users – will have to enforce a minimum age of 18. Similar intimate functionalities will be restricted for under-18s on AI chatbots more widely.

Taken together, these measures will mean a much more comprehensive model than just a blanket ban on social media — one that responds to how children experience harm online, rather than just where it happens.

The changes will back parents grappling with the risks for children that come from the online world and help empower them by providing a clear decision on what is safe and age-appropriate for children.

This is a decisive first step by the government which marks a clear choice to put children’s wellbeing first and give them a healthy life online. We stand ready to take further measures in the future.

Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said:

Today we take a bold and significant step, towards creating a safer, healthier life online, for our children and future generations.

Tech companies have had countless opportunities to keep children safe, yet they have failed to act. That is why we are a taking power away from the tech giants and putting it back in parents’ hands.

My driving force has always been to give every child, from every background, the best possible start in life. That is what these regulations will deliver.

The government will also learn the lessons from Australia’s experience by introducing more highly effective age assurance (HEAA) measures to support compliance, making it far harder for children to bypass safeguards.

Ofcom will conduct a rapid study on what is effective age assurance for verifying whether someone is over 16. The Secretary of State has also written to the new Chair of Ofcom to ask for an urgent review of Ofcom’s enforcement capabilities with a clear enforcement strategy to be published as soon as possible.

In her letter, the Secretary of State confirmed the government will ensure Ofcom has the funding it needs to carry out its new responsibilities – as well as continue its vital work to enforce the existing provisions of the Online Safety Act, including protecting women and girls online, tackling harmful content that puts vulnerable people at risk, and taking action against serious illegal activity such as child sexual abuse material and online fraud and scams.

Today’s announcement follows one of the biggest national conversations held by this government, with more than 116,000 responses submitted by parents, children and experts across the country. The responses showed overwhelming public backing for tougher action. 9 in 10 parents said they would support a social media ban for children under 16.

The majority of young people also backed action, with two-thirds agreeing that children younger than 16 should not be allowed to use at least some social media platforms.

On social media services, real-time content makes harmful material harder to moderate, and algorithmic feeds can intensify exposure to dangerous, distressing or overly engaging material.

Parents rightly expect government to take action as quickly as possible, which is why the government has already taken powers through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act to act fast — using secondary legislation to introduce targeted protections without needing to wait to bring in a whole new Act. This means the first set of regulations could be in effect in Spring 2027.

Today’s action builds on the government’s work to date to go further and faster to protect children online and fight for their wellbeing. Last week, the Prime Minister challenged tech companies so that Britain will be the first country in the world to make it impossible for children to take, share or view nude images – with a 3-month deadline to make meaningful progress.

This watershed moment will come alongside the government’s drive to remove barriers to opportunity and set every child up for happy, fulfilling lives. Yesterday, the government set out further steps to make sure children in every part of the country get greater access to enrichment opportunities in sport, creative activities, nature and the arts both in and out of school.

This builds on wider work to halve the participation gap and reclaim childhood for all young people, including through reforms to the curriculum so that every child gets the skills they need to get on in life, and support throughout their school years to explore and develop their talents, regardless of their background or where they live.

Commenting on the announcement of a social media ban for under 16’s Mary Glasgow, Chief Executive, Children First said:

“The UK Government’s move to restrict social media for under 16s and tackle live streaming and stranger contact is a welcome indication of the desire to protect children in the face of a national childhood emergency. The intention of both the UK and Scottish Governments to reset the digital culture that is causing widespread harm to children and childhood is clear. It must now be matched with the resource and determination needed to realise it.
“Given children are likely to find ways around a ban, they will continue to be harmed unless tech companies are forced to implement changes to ensure their products are safe from the start. Bans on social media and smartphones in schools can begin to shift cultural norms, but they will not fix a system designed to maximise profit and ignore protection. The tech companies have addicted us all and we cannot expect children to change their behaviour, if the adults around them don’t. Parents and caregivers need support to model a new approach to screens and above all tech companies need to ensure safety by design and urgently develop platforms that are not addictive for anyone.
“Both the UK and Scottish governments must hold tech companies to account and drive a comprehensive public health response to digital harm. The commitment to invest in play, creativity and sport so children have meaningful alternatives to being online must be realised here in Scotland, as well as in other parts of the UK.
“Most importantly, every solution must be shaped by the voices of children and young people themselves. Childhood is being reshaped by technology. Both governments must act now to reclaim it, so every child in Scotland can grow up safe, happy and connected.”

Responding to the UK Government announcement, Nicola Killean, Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland, said:

“We are disappointed that the UK Government has announced today its intention to ban children under the age of 16 from social media. This was a statement from the Prime Minister which spoke to adults only, not to the children and young people who will be most affected by these decisions.

“As part of the government’s consultation, we undertook a children’s rights impact assessment which found a social media ban for under-16s would not currently be a proportionate, effective, or enforceable way to protect children’s rights.

“Evidence shows that social media can expose children to serious risks, including harmful content, cyberbullying, manipulation, contact from strangers, exploitation and excessive use. However, it also shows that social media can play an important role in many children’s lives by supporting communication, self-expression, access to information, participation, play, and connection with communities and support networks.

“The available evidence does not currently show a blanket ban would make children safer online, and it may inadvertently push children to less regulated or riskier parts of the internet. The proposed ban could impact some groups of children more than others. Children in rural areas, children with family overseas, disabled children, and children who rely on online spaces for identity, support, or community may be particularly affected.

“Enforcing a ban on children takes away the responsibility on platforms to make social media safer. We want safeguards and the regulation of platforms to be strengthened – and enforced. Platforms must be made to take more accountability in preventing harm – addictive and exploitative features should be the focus. Platforms should change so they are suitable for children, rather than children simply being banned from them.

“Today’s announcement leaves more questions than answers. We know when a ban will happen, but not how or what it will include. The UK Government must urgently address children and young people directly. With the evidence from Australia showing that the majority of children are still on social media, children need to know that they can report harmful content without repercussions. They must not feel they are to blame and are doing something wrong. There is a real risk now that children will be driven to darker places on the internet and stop talking to adults about what they might see.”