Keir Starmer unveils social media ban for under-16s in the UK

A ban on under-16s using social media will give youngsters back their childhood, Keir Starmer said.

The British prime minister announced the ban in response to concerns that social media is unsafe, making children miserable and could cause lasting damage to their mental health.

He acknowledged some youngsters would try to find their way around a ban but said he would not compromise on the “safety and happiness of our children”.

The restrictions, set to be passed by Christmas and in place by spring next year, will leave technology firms, rather than children, liable for enforcement action if they fail to comply.

There will also be measures to prevent children from chatting with adults on gaming and livestreaming platforms.

The Government is also looking at potential overnight curfews and breaks in infinite scrolling for under-18s, with more details expected next month.

Artificial intelligence (AI) “romantic companion” chatbots designed to simulate sexual relationships with users will have a minimum age of 18, while more general AI tools will have similar functions restricted for children.

Starmer said: “We’re giving children their childhoods back.”

In a Downing Street press conference he said the ban was a “big moment for our country”.

The British prime minister, a father of two teenagers, said: “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 “every parent can see it with their own eyes” that “social media is making children unhappy”.

He said social media was “making it easier for bullies to harass and abuse” children and “could even be harming their mental health – exposing them to content that is dangerous, because that’s what grabs the attention”.

The ban is expected to cover platforms like Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X but not messaging services like WhatsApp and Signal.

Starmer suggested YouTube Kids, Lego Play and Google Classroom would not be covered by the prohibition.

The social media ban follows a similar move in Australia, where there have been criticism about how it is enforced, with youngsters using virtual private networks (VPNs) and other methods to get around it.

The Government intends to use highly-effective age assurance (HEAA) measures to make it more difficult for children to dodge the ban.

Those methods could include facial age estimates, photo ID or bank checks according to guidance from regulator Ofcom.

Starmer acknowledged children would try to find their way around the restrictions but “I do believe we can enforce it”.

He said: “Teenagers drink before they should, but we do not then say, ‘in which case let us abandon any attempt to stop them buying alcohol’, we say ‘let’s improve the enforcement of what we’re doing’.”

The British prime minister’s actions were met with applause from campaigners invited into No 10 to hear his speech.

His announcement came shortly before he travelled to the G7 summit in France, where he will be joined by world leaders including US president Donald Trump.

There has been resistance from the Trump administration about action against social media sites which are largely based in the US.

Starmer said he had spoken to Trump and would discuss the issue with him again but stressed that many countries around the world were “grappling” with the issue of children’s safety online.

The move comes with Starmer fighting for his political future ahead of the Makerfield by-election on Thursday which could see Andy Burnham return to Westminster to launch a campaign to replace him as prime minister and Labour leader.

Tory former education minister Lord Nash, who led parliamentary efforts to change the law, said: “The Government has done an excellent job on this and should be commended.

“With robust enforcement this will truly be a game-changer.”

But Save The Children UK’s senior adviser Jeffrey Demarco said: “We are concerned that a blanket ban may look protective on paper, but instead pushes children into less regulated spaces, where they are less likely to seek help when something goes wrong.”