Britain has announced a sweeping ban on social media use for children under the age of 16, in one of the most far-reaching online safety measures introduced by any country. The policy, unveiled by Prime Minister Keir Starmer , aims to protect children from harmful online content, cyberbullying, addictive platform features, and unwanted contact from strangers.
Major Platforms to Be Affected
Under the new rules, social media platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, YouTube and X will be prohibited from offering their services to users under 16 years old. Messaging services such as WhatsApp and Signal will not be included in the ban, while educational platforms like YouTube Kids will remain accessible.
The British government said the restrictions are intended to give children “their childhood back” by reducing excessive screen time and exposure to harmful online environments.
Additional Online Safety Measures
Beyond the social media ban, the government plans to introduce further protections for minors. These include restrictions on livestreaming by under-16s, limits on communication between children and strangers on gaming platforms, and a ban on romantic or sexual AI companion chatbots for anyone under 18. Officials are also considering overnight social media curfews and measures to curb infinite scrolling features for young users.
Strong Parental Support
The policy follows a nationwide public consultation that attracted more than 100,000 responses. According to government figures, around nine in ten parents supported setting a minimum age of 16 for access to social media platforms.
Starmer said the government was responding to growing concerns from families about the impact of social media on children's mental health, safety and overall wellbeing.
Concerns Over Enforcement
Technology companies and some digital rights groups have raised concerns about the proposal, arguing that a blanket ban could push young people towards unregulated platforms and create challenges around age verification and privacy. Critics have also questioned how effectively the restrictions can be enforced, noting that some users may attempt to bypass age checks through virtual private networks (VPNs) or other methods.
