UK to Ban Social Media for Under-16s as Starmer Calls It a Major Step for Child Safety

London, June 2026 : UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday announced plans to ban access to social media for children under the age of 16, describing the move as a “big step” aimed at protecting young people from the harmful effects of online platforms.

The British government plans to introduce legislation before Christmas, with the new protections expected to come into force by Spring 2027. The proposed restrictions will follow a model similar to Australia’s recently introduced social media regulations.

Announcing the decision in a video message shared on X, Starmer said the move was driven by growing evidence that social media is negatively affecting children’s mental health and overall well-being.

“Every parent wants the best for their kids,” Starmer said. “For my two children, all I have ever wanted is for them to be safe and happy. But children today are growing up in a world where technology intrudes into every area of their lives, and we know that harms them.”

The Prime Minister noted that thousands of parents had expressed concern during the government’s nationwide consultation, saying their children had become addicted to social media and trapped in cycles of endless scrolling.

“It displaces play, sleep and family time. It can harm mental health, and parents need our support on this,” he said.

Starmer acknowledged that the decision had not been taken lightly and warned that the government expected resistance from major technology companies.

“We haven’t rushed into it. We’ve carefully looked at the evidence and learned from other countries taking similar steps,” he said. “This decision has been resisted and will face resistance from some of the most powerful companies in the world. But we will take them on and we will win.”

He stressed that social media was making children “unhappy and unsafe” and said the government had a duty to act.

According to the British government, the proposed ban will apply to major social media platforms including Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X. However, messaging applications such as WhatsApp and Signal will be exempt from the restrictions.

The government also announced stricter rules for artificial intelligence applications. AI “romantic companion” chatbots designed to simulate intimate or sexual relationships will be required to enforce a minimum age limit of 18 years. Similar features on other AI chatbots will also be restricted for minors.

The announcement follows one of the largest public consultations undertaken by the UK government, which received more than 116,000 responses from parents, children and experts nationwide.

The findings showed overwhelming support for stronger regulation. According to the government, nine out of ten parents backed a social media ban for children under 16, while nearly two-thirds of young respondents agreed that at least some social media platforms should not be accessible to younger users.

The proposed measures mark one of the most significant digital safety reforms in the UK in recent years, reflecting growing global concern over the impact of social media and online technologies on children and adolescents.

(The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)