Britain to ban under 16s from social media

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he would ban social media sites for the under-16s and impose restrictions on gaming and livestreaming platforms, in some of the most far-reaching online restrictions to date globally.

Starmer said on Monday he would introduce sweeping changes to social media regulation to better protect the well-being of children when they are online.

“It is clear to me a full ban is the right choice,” he said, adding that while it would not be easy, the government had agency in pushing back against the power of big technology companies.

Britain has increasingly toughened its approach to tech companies in recent years, urging or forcing them to impose age verification, adapt their algorithms and, most recently, prevent children from circulating nude images taken on mobile phones.

But with a growing awareness of the mental health risks posed by children spending too much time online, Starmer has decided to go further after speaking to parents and considering evidence from Australia, which brought in a ban for under 16s last year.

Starmer, who is likely to face a leadership challenge in the coming weeks, said people rightly expected action.

Australia leads the way

Australia was the first country to ban social media for children under 16, blocking them in December from platforms including TikTok, Alphabet’s YouTube and Meta’s Instagram and Facebook.

Since then, a raft of countries has said they are looking to regulate access to social media amid mounting concerns over the impact on children’s health and safety.

Britain has consulted teachers, parents and young people on new restrictions, including a possible ban for under-16s, as well as curfews, app time limits and curbs on what the government has described as addictive design features.

It received more than 116,000 responses from parents, industry and young people. More than 83% of parents who responded said risks from social media outweighed benefits, while 90% backed a minimum age of 16 to access social media platforms.

While many parents and politicians back a ban, some psychologists and researchers have said there is no proof that it would work, and a group of school children in London told Reuters they had a conflicted relationship with the technology.