Britain to ban social media for under-16s
Britain will bar children under 16 from major social media platforms , Prime Minister Keir Starmer said, telling the public “it is clear to me a full ban is the right choice.” The restriction would cover TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram, along with gaming and livestreaming services that let children contact strangers. The government is also weighing further limits for under-18s, such as overnight curfews and curbs on infinite-scroll feeds.
Starmer is aiming to pass the legislation by late December 2026, with the ban taking effect in spring 2027 and fuller details due in July. Enforcement is the open question: a ban is only as strong as the age-verification regime behind it, and the announcement did not spell out how platforms will be made to check ages or what penalties they face.
The step puts the UK alongside Australia, which became the first country to enforce an under-16 ban in December 2025, and Canada, whose culture minister recently introduced comparable legislation. YouTube cautioned that a blanket ban could push children toward “less safe services” — the standard industry argument that hard cutoffs displace rather than reduce risky use.