UK announces Australia-style social media ban for children under 16

Britain will ban children under the age of 16 from using major social media platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, YouTube and X under plans announced by Prime Minister Keir Starmer's government on Monday, in one of the world's toughest crackdowns on children's online activity.

The proposed legislation, expected to be introduced in parliament before Christmas and come into force in 2027, would require social media companies to prevent under-16s from accessing their services.

"It is clear to me a full ban is the right choice," Starmer told a press conference.

"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."

Britain will use a similar model to Australia, which enacted a ban last December, the government said.

The ban would apply to user-to-user social media services that enable interaction and content sharing, including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, YouTube and X.

Messaging services such as WhatsApp and Signal would not be covered.

The government said it would introduce what it described as "world-leading" protections for children online, including blocking live-streaming features and preventing strangers from communicating with under-16s across a range of digital services, including gaming platforms.

The restrictions would also be enabled by default for 16- and 17-year-olds, while the government examines further measures such as overnight curfews and limits on infinite scrolling for users under 18.

AI "romantic companion" chatbots designed to simulate intimate or sexual relationships would be required to enforce a minimum age of 18, while similar features on other AI chatbots would be restricted for minors.

"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," Starmer said.

UK Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said technology companies had failed to adequately protect children online.

"We are taking power away from the tech giants and putting it back in parents' hands," she said.

The government said more than 116,000 responses were submitted during a public consultation on online child safety, with nine out of 10 parents supporting a social media ban for children under 16.

Britain's media regulator Ofcom will conduct a review of age-verification technologies to determine how platforms can effectively verify whether users are over 16.

The government said it would ensure Ofcom has sufficient resources to enforce the new rules.

Australia became the first country to prohibit children under 16 from accessing social media, blocking them from platforms including TikTok, Alphabet's YouTube and Meta's Instagram and Facebook.