Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will announce a new law banning under-16s from social media at a Downing Street press conference on Monday, June 15. The move follows a public consultation where the vast majority of respondents backed a minimum age of 16 for accessing platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
Details of the Ban
The UK is expected to follow Australia's example by raising the minimum age to 16 for sites including TikTok, Instagram, Threads, Facebook, X, YouTube, Snapchat, and Reddit. The ban will go further than Australia's by also including romantic or sexual AI chatbots, and children could be blocked from chatting to strangers on gaming platforms, according to The Sunday Times.
Daily social media use will also be limited for under-18s to prevent late-night scrolling.
Public Consultation Results
The public consultation, which closed on May 26, received about 116,000 responses, making it the second-largest in history. Over 83% of parents who responded said social media risks outweigh the benefits for children, with 91% backing a minimum age of 16 before platforms can offer their services to children.
Government and Opposition Reactions
Sir Keir Starmer said: "How we keep kids safe online is one of the biggest debates of our time. As a dad, I know every parent wants their child to grow up safe and happy. This is a choice about whose side we're on: families across the country, or a status quo that isn't working. People rightly expect action, and this Government will always stand up for parents and put children first."
Tory shadow education secretary Laura Trott criticised the Government's previous stance, saying: "It's shameful that it's taken the Prime Minister's job to be on the line for the Government to finally U-turn and ban social media for under 16s. Three times Labour voted against a ban, failing to stand up to Big Tech and protect children."
Lord Nash, a Tory former education minister who led the campaign for an under-16s social media ban in the House of Lords, said: "The Government now has an opportunity to draw a line in the sand and end tech companies' uncontrolled experiment with children's safety. They must deliver in full on their pledge to raise the age limit to 16 for harmful platforms and features, with robust age verification to ensure it is properly enforced."
