LONDON – Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is set to announce a sweeping ban on social media access for children under the age of 16 on Monday morning.
The move represents a significant escalation in the UK government’s approach to digital safety, aiming to dismantle a regulatory environment that the Prime Minister describes as a “system that’s failing our kids.”
The initiative follows a government consultation which indicated that a majority of the public supports a ban for under-16s, though some campaigners have cautioned that such broad measures could create unforeseen complications.
Scope of the Social Media Ban
The proposed restrictions will target a wide array of the world’s most prominent digital platforms and are expected to be implemented through new primary legislation and strengthened age-verification duties on technology companies. According to Whitehall sources, the UK will prohibit children under 16 from accessing the following 10 platforms:
- TikTok
- Snapchat
- YouTube
- Twitch
- X
- Threads
- Kick
Beyond the primary social networks, the government intends to implement restrictions on the ability of children to livestream on sites previously categorized as “safer” and block the ability to communicate with strangers on gaming applications. Ministers are expected to lean on the existing enforcement powers of the UK’s online regulator, Ofcom under the Online Safety Act, to compel platforms to design services that are effectively inaccessible to under-16s or face significant fines.
The ‘Australia-Plus’ Framework
The UK strategy is heavily informed by legislation in Australia, which introduced the world’s first outright social media ban for those under 16 in December 2025. British officials have studied that law’s age-verification regime and penalties for non-compliant firms as a template for implementation and enforcement.
However, officials within Whitehall are describing the British scheme as “Australia-plus,” indicating that the UK intends to exceed the parameters of the Australian model. These additional measures include:
- New restrictions on the use of AI chatbots, particularly tools that allow children to exchange direct messages or share personal information with automated systems.
- The potential implementation of social media curfews for older teenagers, limiting access during late-night hours on school days.
Further details regarding the proposed curfews are not expected to be unveiled until next month, when the government is due to publish draft guidance for platforms and parents alongside an updated online harms strategy.
Government Justification
Sir Keir Starmer has framed the policy as a moral imperative and a necessary intervention for child welfare, positioning it as a flagship element of his domestic policy agenda since entering Downing Street as Labour leader and Prime Minister in 2024.
“This is a choice about whose side we’re on: families across the country, or a status quo that isn’t working,” Sir Keir said.
The Prime Minister emphasized his personal perspective as a parent when discussing the necessity of the intervention. “How we keep kids safe online is one of the biggest debates of our time,” he said. “As a dad, I know every parent wants their child to grow up safe and happy.”
He added that “people rightly expect action, and this government will always stand up for parents and put children first,” stating the intent to “take bold action to give every child the best possible start in life.”
The Prime Minister concluded that he would “call time on a system that’s failing our kids.”
The full details of the scheme, including the legislative timetable, enforcement powers and expected transition period for families and platforms, will be unveiled by the Prime Minister on Monday morning.
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