# UK Pushes for Under-16 Social Media Ban, Aims for Global Leadership in Child Online Safety British Prime Minister **Keir Starmer** declared on Monday the UK's intent to prohibit social media use for individuals under 16, asserting that these plans will constitute the strongest online safety measures for children globally once implemented. The proposed ban will encompass all "user-to-user platforms, whose purpose is to enable social interaction and which allow users to post material, alongside algorithms," according to a press release from the government’s **Department for Science, Innovation and Technology**. Platforms such as **TikTok**, **Facebook**, **Instagram**, **Snapchat**, **X**, and **YouTube** are expected to fall under this restriction, while messaging services like **WhatsApp** will be exempt. Further restrictions will target AI 'romantic companion chatbots and "intimate functionalities" on all other chatbots, making them inaccessible to children under 18. ## Legislative Timeline and Scope The UK government aims to introduce legislation before Christmas, with enforcement of the ban anticipated by spring 2027. The model draws inspiration from a similar ban enacted in Australia last December but will incorporate additional safeguards. "In a move to protect children online and address the scale of the challenge, the government will also go further than a blanket ban on social media with world-leading blocks on harmful functions such as livestreaming and stranger communication with children for under-16s," the press release stated. These comprehensive restrictions will extend to a broader array of online services, including gaming sites. ## Outdoing Australia with Robust Age Assurance The UK intends to mandate "highly effective age assurance" methods, surpassing those currently in place in Australia. The UK’s communications regulator, **Ofcom**, has been tasked with developing these age assurance measures and is expected to present a plan by October. Additional measures, including potential overnight curfews and mandatory "breaks in infinite scrolling" for teens under 18, are slated for announcement next month. An Australian study released in March by the country’s **eSafety Commissioner** indicated that their social media ban has not been entirely successful in preventing a significant number of young Australians from accessing platforms. Prior to the ban, nearly half of surveyed parents reported their children had accounts on regulated platforms. Post-ban, this figure dropped to 31.3%. Crucially, over two-thirds of Australian children who retained accounts did so because tech companies had not required age verification. The UK's pilot programs and public consultations, which garnered support from nine in ten of 116,000 surveyed parents, underscore a strong public mandate for these measures. **Technology Secretary Liz Kendall** emphasized that tech companies have had numerous opportunities to self-regulate but have failed, necessitating government intervention. ## A Growing Global Movement Britain joins a growing list of nations implementing or planning social media bans for minors. **Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez** announced similar intentions in February for under-16s, stating, "Social media has become a failed state, where laws are ignored, and crimes are tolerated.” The Netherlands' new minority government also indicated plans for a ban for children 14 and younger in February. French lawmakers are drafting legislation for a ban for children under 15, while Malaysia and Turkey already have bans in place for children under 16 and 15, respectively. ## Criticisms and Challenges Human rights and civil liberties organizations, including **Amnesty International UK**, have voiced concerns. **Kerry Moscogiuri**, chief executive of **Amnesty International UK**, argued, "The problem is not that children exist on social media; it’s that social media companies have built platforms that are unsafe by design. If the diagnosis is that social media platforms are harming children, the remedy should be to regulate the platforms, not exclude children.” **Joe Jonas**, director of research and insights at the **IAPP**, highlighted privacy risks as a key factor in the public debate. He also noted the potential political challenges for the current government in pushing the ban through amidst political uncertainty.