UK Prime Minister, Keir Starmer has announced the ban of children under 16 years from the use of social media effective from next Spring (March, 2027),
The ban has been long anticipated following a similar ban in Australia in December, 2025.
Investigations in the UK revealed that children between eight and 16 spent minimum of two hours on social media daily, a situation that the government says impacts negatively on the children.
The Prime minister in a televised statement said that, “A full ban is the right choice… I am not prepared to compromise on the safety and happiness of our children.”
Also, the UK Culture Secretary, Lisa Nandy maintains that keeping children safe online “must go hand in hand with giving them more opportunities offline.”
In a post shared on X, she says the government is “investing in sport, music, culture and the arts” to give young people “the confidence and connections to thrive.”
Affected social media platforms include, Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X. are among the platforms affected.
Part of the government statement on the ban reads: “This would capture user-to-user platforms, whose purpose is to enable social interaction and which allow users to post material, alongside algorithms. The ban will therefore include platforms like Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X.
“We do not intend for messaging services like WhatsApp and Signal to be included in the social media ban.”
Justifying the move, Prime Minister Starmer said:
“Parents want to keep their kids safe and happy, but the online world has made that harder than ever.
“I’ve heard first hand from families crying out for change and we will do right by them.
“That’s why we’re going further than any country in the world by banning social media for under-16s and putting wider protections in place to give kids their childhood back.
“This is a line in the sand. Tech giants had their chance and failed, but we’re stepping in to protect children, back parents and set a new normal for future generations.
On her part, the UK Technology Secretary, Lisa Kindall stated that,:
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said:
“Today we take a bold and significant step, towards creating a safer, healthier life online, for our children and future generations.
“Tech companies have had countless opportunities to keep children safe, yet they have failed to act. That is why we are a taking power away from the tech giants and putting it back in parents’ hands.
“My driving force has always been to give every child, from every background, the best possible start in life. That is what these regulations will deliver.”
Source: BBC