Keir Starmer Prepares Social Media Ban for Under-16s.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer is set to announce a ban on younger teenagers from some social media platforms and curbs on their daily use. A consultation on online safety closed on May 26, giving ministers just weeks to come up with policies after receiving more than 116,000 responses. It is not clear when the ban could come into force.

According to sources close to the process, Starmer is preparing to ban access for under-16s to a number of social media apps, a measure expected to include all major platforms. Currently, the age restriction for major social media platforms is 13, but there is no official government-mandated age limit. He is also expected to announce restrictions for platforms that are not banned, with certain features withheld from under-16s. Teenagers will be banned from all main social platforms, while online products not covered by the ban, such as gaming apps, will face new restrictions, including the removal of the option to chat with strangers. Under-18s will also be banned from accessing romantic or sexual AI chatbots. Government sources said protecting teenagers from harmful addictive content, such as infinite scrolling, as well as contact with strangers, were the key drivers of the hardline measures.

Central to the ban is one of the thorniest issues in technology regulation worldwide: how can tech companies verify details about their users without invasive measures, such as requiring government-issued IDs? The UK regulator Ofcom offers some flexibility in how age verification is carried out under the Online Safety Act. The government may need to legislate to enforce the ban and to give itself flexibility to adapt to new technology, although the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act already gives ministers some powers.

In Australia, which is already enforcing a ban, under-16s are restricted from 10 major platforms: Tik Tok, You Tube, Instagram, Reddit, Facebook, X, Threads, Snapchat, Twitch and Kick. UK government sources indicated that bans on major platforms would apply to a similar range of apps.

According to reports, those features will include chats with adult strangers and livestreaming. It has also been reported that 16- and 17-year-olds will face time limits for social media use. Under-18s are also expected to be blocked from using romantic or sexual AI chatbots.

According to survey results, nearly 9 in 10 respondents, or 88%, said fewer children would be exposed to inappropriate or harmful content. Almost two-thirds of young people who responded said restricting high-risk features would make them safer online.