British Prime Minister ( PM) Keir Starmer has reportedly announced an upcoming total ban on social media for children under 16.
According to reports by AFP, Starmer said that the government “will ban access to social media for all children under the age of 16”.
According to the PM, those platforms are “exposing them to content that is dangerous” and “designed to be addictive”.
Reports indicate that the ban will “include platforms like Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X” but not messaging services such as WhatsApp.
UK to ban social media for children under the age of 16
Additionally, he hoped to pass the regulation by late December and for the ban to come into force in spring next year.
Starmer also said the government would go further and take “world-leading action on gaming services and live streaming platforms”.
Further reports indicate that the government will also be considering overnight curfews and breaks in infinite scrolling for under 18s, and would announce more detail in July.
The upcoming ban was influenced by the experience of Australia, which in December became the first nation to ban people under 16 from social media.
The announcement further follows a government-led consultation where British teenagers trialled social media bans and time limits on apps.
