Britain announces sweeping social media ban for under-16s

Britain may surpass Australia with gaming curbs, overnight limits and anti-scroll rules for under-18s

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday he would ban social media sites for under-16s. impose restrictions on gaming and live-streaming ‌platforms, in a fightback against big tech that goes further than any other country.

The sweeping changes will "give kids their childhood back", Starmer told reporters, outlining measures against Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram. other platforms, as well as gaming sites that allow strangers to contact children.

"It is clear to me a full ban is the right choice," he said.

"It will make a huge difference. it will make our children safer, it ​will make our children happier, it will give them more time, more security, more freedom to grow up, more opportunity."

However, some experts doubted whether a blanket ​ban would be effective,. Starmer acknowledged it would be difficult to fully enforce such restrictions.

Australia-plus model

Britain will go further ⁠than Australia — the first country to ban social media for children — with controls on gaming platforms. the possibility of overnight curfews and curbs on infinite scrolling for under-18s.

, Facebook. X will be covered, the government said, but messaging services such as WhatsApp and Signal will not be.

I am simply not prepared to be a bystander when the safety. happiness of our children are at stake.We will ban social media access for under 16s, and give children their childhoods back.Read more about it here:https://t.co/oqX7ufHB4Rpic.twitter.com/3ZxmVFG0OY

"World-leading blocks" on  livestreaming and strangers contacting children would ​also be imposed, Starmer said.

"Is there a situation in the offline world where you would just let your child pair up with a stranger. an adult that you don't know anything about?" he said.

While parents. politicians back a ban, some psychologists and researchers have said there is no proof that it would work, and a group of school children in London told Reuters they had aconflicted ​relationshipwith the technology.

Social media companies have already put in place child safety measures. such as changing algorithms, in response to tightening regulations, including by Britain.

They said ​on Monday. a blanket ban risked pushing young people onto riskier platforms that did not offer the protections they had introduced.

said it had invested in "expert-led, age-appropriate experiences and default protections ‌for teens ⁠for over a decade".

is a vital resource for young people, educators and parents," a spokesperson said on Monday.

Snapchat said an outright ban would disconnect teens from private messaging between friends. family that accounted for the majority of time spent on its service, adding that the scope of the ban should be reviewed.

Read More:Canada introduces legislation to ban social media for children under 16, regulate AI chatbots

And Meta, owner of Facebook. Instagram, said the experience in Australia suggested that bans risked isolating teens from online communities, driving them to unregulated alternatives that lacked protections and parental controls.

Ban in Place by next spring?

A ban could be in ​place next spring, Starmer said, underpinned ⁠by existing powers. new regulations due by the end of the year.

Britain has increasinglytoughened its approachto tech firms. urging or forcing them to adapt their algorithms and, most recently, to prevent children from circulating nude images taken on mobile phones.

The ban will likely require age checks to ​be expanded to all users. something regulator Ofcom has already introduced for porn sites. Ofcom said it was ready to work ​on that.

Some experts ⁠sounded a sceptical note about the proposals.

Research Professor Amy Orben from the University of Cambridge said enforcement in Australia was still incomplete. the majority of young people were still online at similar rates.

"However, a ban is likely to change public perceptions,. make social media use less acceptable in younger age groups," she added.

Starmer, facing a likely leadership ⁠challenge in the ​coming weeks, acknowledged that children would get around the restrictions. said a ban — which could be ​his main legacy — would bring long-term change to the culture around social media.

"Laws are rules, but they're also an expression of our values," he said.

A raft of other countries have also said they are looking toregulate access to social media​amid mounting concerns over the impact on children's health. safety.

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