Keir Starmer has vowed to “call time on a system that’s failing our kids” ahead of his expected announcement of an under-16s social media ban. The Prime Minister will announce sweeping reforms to protect children online at a Downing Street press conference at 8am this morning (June 15). He promised “bold action” in response to calls for change from parents, after the vast majority responding to the government consultation backed a minimum age of 16 before children can access social media platforms.
UK to Follow Australia's Example
The UK is expected to follow Australia’s example in raising the minimum age to 16 for sites including TikTok, Instagram, Threads, Facebook, X, YouTube, Snapchat and Reddit. But the ban will go further than Australia’s by including romantic or sexual AI chatbots, and children could also be blocked from chatting to strangers on gaming platforms, according to The Sunday Times.
Live Updates
You can follow all the updates on the press conference via our live blog below.
