Key Summary
- Starmer announced limited access to social media for children under 16.
- He expressed confidence that parents will welcome the “clear and decisive choice”.
- The UK's action comes after Australia became the first country in the world to introduce a similar ban in December last year.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on Monday (15) that the UK will ban children under 16 from accessing social media apps, calling the measure necessary for their safety and happiness.
Speaking from 10 Downing Street, Starmer, who said he was acting both as PM and a parent, acknowledged the difficulty of enforcing restrictions on powerful tech firms but argued the government must act to protect young people’s mental health.
He admitted that it will not be easy to impose such a ban involving some of the most powerful tech companies in the world, but emphasised that the health and well-being of children are paramount.
“Today is a big moment for our country. This is a big step, real change for our children and our future because today I can announce that the government will ban access to social media for all children under the age of 16," said Starmer.
“This is not something I do lightly, and I will not present it as cost-free as if social media has brought no benefits to young people, because clearly that is wrong. But government is always about choices, and it's clear to me that a full ban is the right choice,” he said.
The policy will exclude messaging apps such as WhatsApp, but will target gaming services and live-streaming platforms where unsupervised contact with strangers is possible; those services will be required to implement an age-verification system that is still being finalised.
Starmer said legislative powers are in place for the law to take effect by next spring and expressed confidence that many parents will welcome the “clear and decisive choice.”
The UK's action comes after Australia became the first country in the world to introduce a similar ban in December last year. The specific details of how the ban will work in practice are expected to emerge as further data is released by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).
The announcement follows widespread support in the government’s Growing Up in an Online World consultation, in which the majority of responding parents backed raising the minimum age for social media to 16 and called for limits on high-risk features like livestreaming, stranger contact and explicit image sharing.
The government said it already has powers under the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act to act quickly, and further details on implementation will be published soon.
Need for change
Vast majority of parents responding to landmark Government consultation want minimum age for social media raised to 16.
The Growing Up in an Online World parents’ consultation found that:
- 9 in 10 parents (91 percent) who responded back a minimum age of 16 before platforms can offer their services to children
- Three quarters (75 percent) said families would face fewer disagreements if social media was restricted for under-16’s
- 83 percent said social media risks outweigh the benefits for children.
- Nearly 9 in 10 (88 percent) said fewer children would be exposed to inappropriate or harmful content.
- Almost two thirds (62 percent) who responded to the consultation said restricting the high-risk features would make them safer online.
- Nearly 3 in 4 (72 percent) were worried about feeling left out if restrictions came in.
Technology secretary Liz Kendall said: "I know how hard it is for parents today. Knowing what your child is seeing online, who they are talking to, and what features are being used to keep them hooked. It is an almost impossible task, and parents across the country are telling us enough is enough.
The Government already has the legal powers it needs to act. Parliament passed the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act earlier this year, giving ministers the ability to introduce new measures to restrict harmful features on online services – without needing to pass new laws. That means change can happen fast.
The full response to the consultation from the Government will set out the specific measures it intends to take and the timeline for implementation.
