British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is set to announce a ban on social media for children under 16, according to multiple reports.
The government has previously said it was studying options regarding a ban, but the Guardian and Financial Times say Starmer is now ready to unveil the policy in a speech on Monday.
Government sources say the UK’s ban will apply to a similar range of social platforms to Australia’s, with TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Reddit, Facebook, X, Threads, Snapchat, Twitch and Kick all banned for users under 16.
Other products, such as gaming apps, would not be banned outright, but would require features such as the ability to chat with strangers to be removed for younger users. The policy also bans users under 18 from accessing romantic and sexual chatbots and seeks to prevent late-night scrolling.
The government could use existing regulatory powers to enforce some aspects of the ban, but new legislation may be needed, the Guardian said.
The UK is one of several countries considering following Australia’s lead and banning children from using social media. The UK has already passed age verification laws that it claims will keep children safe online.
The ban comes amid growing discussion about the impact social media use has on teens and children. For example, the murdered teenager’s mother, Brianna Ghey, called for a teen social media ban in the UK and said her daughter’s eating habits and self-harming behavior were “significantly worsened by the harmful content she consumes online.”
At the same time, the ban has been criticized for potentially violating users’ privacy and isolating children, while providing unproven benefits to children’s mental health.
Age verification laws, unlike outright bans implemented in several U.S. states, have been criticized as a threat to online privacy and anonymity. And no verification method is perfect.
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