Starmer says Britain will ban under-16s from using a range of social media apps
The plan also targets gaming and AI chatbots, and officials say 83% of parents backed stronger limits on children’s online access.
- On Monday, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced plans to ban children under 16 from social media platforms including TikTok, Snapchat, and Facebook by Spring 2027, aiming to "give kids their childhood back."
- The policy follows years of campaigning by bereaved parents, including Stuart Stephens, who argued such measures could have protected his son, Olly Stephens, who died in 2021 following a social media dispute.
- Regulator Ofcom will establish age verification systems to enforce the ban, with the government holding tech companies liable rather than children; messaging services like WhatsApp remain excluded from restrictions.
- While MPs largely welcomed the proposal, tech firms including Meta warned the ban could drive teens toward "less safe" unregulated platforms; some critics questioned whether the policy can be effectively bypassed.
- Legislation is expected before Christmas, with the ban taking effect early next year; the government is exploring further restrictions for under-18s, including overnight curfews and breaks in infinite scrolling.
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508 Articles
John Oxley: 'Hear that internet curfew bell toll? It tolls for thee, kid, even if we think you can vote'
John Oxley is a consultant, writer, and broadcaster. His SubStack is Joxley Writes. Imagine it is the spring of 2029, polling day. You are 17. You have completed a day of training, education or work (still compulsory at your age). You are excited to cast your first vote, exercising a new right. Before, or perhaps after, you have some time to kill. You can’t fill it by going for a pint, as you’re too young. Or having a cigarette, which will never…
Save the Children oppose Starmer’s plan to save the children
On 15 June, the government announced a social media ban for under-16s. Since then, many groups and experts have spoken out, including Save the Children: This announcement reflects legitimate concerns about children's safety online, but a ban of this scale would change how children access and experience the digital world. The UK Government must ensure that any decisions are informed by children themselves and by independent… https://t.co/HbwviVk…
Should the UK government be banning social media for under-16s?
Welcome to Touching Grass, where two extremely online people attempt to explain internet discourse to people sensible enough to spend their time offline. This week is A Very Special Episode ™️, as Lucy Reade and James Ball discuss the recent UK government announcement that social media will be banned for under-16s. Presented by James Ball […]
Is Britain’s Social Media Ban a Trojan Horse for Censorship?
My mother is fond of saying that children spell love T-I-M-E, by which she means they have an instinctive understanding of the role that sustained attention plays in the formation, demonstration, and maintenance of our affections. There is no substitute for presence, focus, and intentionality. She is right; but for two decades a crisis of attention has been building, a crisis created by the addictive fusion of hardware—touchscreen smartphones an…
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