As heavily flagged in recent weeks, the UK government has announced plans to prohibit social media platforms from offering services to users under the age of 16. The move comes alongside a broader package of online safety measures aimed at reducing children’s exposure to harmful online experiences.
The proposals, published by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on June 15, would apply to major user-to-user social media services including Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X. Messaging services such as WhatsApp and Signal are not expected to fall within the scope of the proposed ban.
According to the government, the legislation will be modelled on Australia’s approach to youth social media restrictions and is expected to be introduced to Parliament before Christmas. If approved, the first measures could come into force in Spring 2027 through secondary legislation enabled by the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act.
In addition to restricting access to social media for under-16s, the government plans to introduce limits on specific online functionalities, including livestreaming and communication between children and unknown users. These measures would apply across a broader range of digital services, including gaming platforms.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “Parents want to keep their kids safe and happy, but the online world has made that harder than ever. That’s why we’re going further than any country in the world by banning social media for under-16s and putting wider protections in place to give kids their childhood back.”
The proposals also include new age requirements for AI services. AI ‘romantic companion’ chatbots designed to simulate sexual relationships or roleplay would be required to enforce a minimum age of 18. Similar intimate functionalities on AI chatbot services would also be restricted for under-18s.
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall added: “Today we take a bold and significant step, towards creating a safer, healthier life online, for our children and future generations. Tech companies have had countless opportunities to keep children safe, yet they have failed to act.”
To support enforcement, the government said it will introduce what it describes as “highly effective age assurance” measures. Ofcom has been tasked with conducting a rapid study into age-verification methods capable of determining whether users are over the age of 16. The Secretary of State has also asked the incoming Chair of Ofcom to conduct an urgent review of the regulator’s enforcement capabilities and publish an enforcement strategy. The government said it will provide Ofcom with additional funding to support implementation of the new requirements.
The announcement follows a consultation that received more than 116,000 responses from parents, children and experts. According to the government, nine in ten parents supported a social media ban for under-16s, while around two-thirds of young people agreed that children younger than 16 should not be permitted to use at least some social media platforms.
