Britain Unveils Sweeping Social Media Ban for Under-16s, Going Further Than Any Other Country
LONDON — June 15, 2026 — Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a landmark ban on social media for children under the age of 16 on Monday, June 15, imposing strict age verification requirements on platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X, Snapchat and YouTube in a sweeping crackdown aimed at “giving kids their childhood back” .
The new measures, which go further than similar restrictions in Australia, will also restrict livestreaming and stranger communication for under-16s on gaming platforms, while banning “romantic chatbots” for under-18s . Messaging services such as WhatsApp and Signal will not be included in the ban .
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“I come to it as a parent myself. I know exactly the fears that we all feel when we’re thinking about this issue,” Starmer told a press conference. “Do we truly believe that social media creates a happy environment for our children? Do we truly believe that it’s a place where they can feel safe?” .
‘Line in the Sand’: What the Ban Covers
The new regulations, which will be enacted through powers granted under the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026, apply to social media platforms designed for user-to-user social interaction and algorithmic content delivery .
Platforms included in the ban: Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, X, Reddit and Threads .
Exemptions: Messaging services including WhatsApp and Signal, as well as music streaming services, will not be covered by the ban, though the government said exemptions would be kept under review .
Gaming and livestreaming: Under-16s will be blocked from communicating with strangers on gaming platforms and will be prohibited from using livestreaming features .
AI chatbots: The ban will also restrict AI chatbots, with “romantic chatbots” prohibited entirely for under-18s .
Additional Protections: Curfews, Addictive Features and Data Privacy
Beyond the outright ban for under-16s, the government announced a range of additional measures targeting platform design and user protections for older teens .
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Default protections for 16- and 17-year-olds: Restrictions on functionalities banned for under-16s will be applied by default for 16- and 17-year-olds to prevent a “cliff edge” at age 16 .
Addictive features ban: Platforms will be required to prevent continuous “doom scrolling” and autoplay videos designed to keep children hooked on screens for hours .
Overnight curfews: The government will consider introducing curfews that mute notifications after a designated evening hour to prevent sleep deprivation and mental distraction for under-18s . Further details will be announced in July.
Data processing age increase: The legal age for personalised algorithm data collection will be raised from 13 to 16, targeting corporate algorithms accused of serving inappropriate or anxiety-inducing content to children .
Late-night curfews and infinite scrolling restrictions: The government will examine breaks in infinite scrolling for under-18-year-olds and set out further detail next month .
Enforcement: ‘No Blame on Children’
Starmer was explicit that enforcement would target social media platforms, not children who manage to bypass the restrictions .
“Just because some tech-savvy youngsters might find a loophole to access a platform, it doesn’t mean the age limit should be lowered,” the Prime Minister said, comparing the digital block to age restrictions on alcohol .
Regulatory oversight: Ofcom, the UK’s communications regulator, will be responsible for enforcing the new rules. The government has asked Ofcom to launch a “rapid assessment” of what “highly effective age assurance” looks like for determining whether someone is over 16 .
Technologies under consideration: Enforcement mechanisms are expected to include digital ID checks, advanced face-scanning technology, and potentially measures to block VPNs used by resourceful teens to bypass filters .
Financial penalties: Social media giants could face massive fines for non-compliance, modelled on Australia’s framework which imposes penalties up to £26.5 million (A$49.5 million) .
Public Support and Consultation
The government received more than 116,000 responses to its “Growing up in the Online World” consultation, which closed in May .
According to government figures, 9 in 10 parents support the ban, while independent YouGov polling found 77 percent of parents backed the measure .
“There is a clear demand from the British public for urgent action to ensure our children have safer and healthier online experiences,” Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary Liz Kendall wrote in a letter to Ofcom .
Timeline: Regulations by Christmas, Ban by Spring 2027
The government has set an ambitious timeline for implementation :
- July 2026: Full response to the consultation, including details on curfews and infinite scrolling restrictions .
- By Christmas 2026: Regulations to be laid before Parliament .
- Early 2027 (likely spring): The ban will come into force .
The government already holds the necessary powers under the Online Safety Act 2023 and the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 to take the first steps, with detailed regulations to follow .
The Australian Precedent and Skepticism from Campaigners
The UK is following a similar model to Australia, which enacted a social media ban for under-16s in December 2025 . Australia’s crackdown has successfully blocked more than one million underage accounts, according to Ofcom data .
However, safety campaigners have expressed deep skepticism about the ban’s effectiveness. Research published in March 2026 by the Molly Rose Foundation — a charity established in memory of 14-year-old Molly Russell, who died by suicide after viewing thousands of posts about self-harm on social media — found that 60 percent of Australian teens managed to keep their social media accounts despite the ban .
The study found that 70 percent of children found it “easy” to circumvent the ban, noting that platforms routinely failed to detect or remove under-16s’ accounts. Furthermore, 51 percent of children who accessed restricted platforms said the ban had made no change to their online safety .
Andy Burrows, Chief Executive of the Molly Rose Foundation, warned: “These results raise major questions about the effectiveness of Australia’s social media ban and show it would be a high-stakes gamble for the UK to follow suit now. Parents and children deserve better than a flawed ban that delivers a false sense of safety that is letting children down in practice” .
Molly’s father, Ian Russell, added: “The cost is too high to get this wrong by rushing into an Australia-style ban that offers the perception of security but is letting children down in practice” .
Privacy and Practical Challenges
The ban has also raised concerns about privacy and data security. The government acknowledged in its letter to Ofcom that while age assurance is critical, measures must “make all endeavours to avoid excluding users who are old enough to use certain platforms or features but lack the means to verify their age through passports or driving licences” .
The government has asked Ofcom to work closely with the Information Commissioner’s Office to ensure “synergy between the online safety regime and data protection legislation” .
International Context
The UK joins a growing number of nations imposing age restrictions on social media. Australia became the first country to ban children under 16 in December 2025 . Canada introduced similar legislation on June 10, and Indonesia began implementing its ban in March .
France, Spain, Denmark, Thailand, and South Korea are also researching or developing similar measures .
What Social Media Companies Must Do Now
Under the existing Online Safety Act, in-scope services are already required to protect children from illegal content, harmful content, and age-inappropriate content .
The new measures add specific requirements :
- Prevent under-16s from creating accounts on covered platforms
- Block livestreaming and stranger communication for under-16s
- Turn off restricted features by default for 16- and 17-year-olds
- Implement “highly effective age assurance” determined by Ofcom
- Remove addictive features such as infinite scrolling and autoplay for children
Ofcom will conduct a rapid assessment to establish best practices for age verification, with an emphasis on data privacy and security
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