The UK government has announced plans to ban social media platforms providing services to children under the age of 16, in what it describes as a landmark move to improve online safety and “give kids their childhood back”.
Under proposals expected to be introduced to parliament before Christmas, social media platforms including Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and X would be prohibited from allowing under-16s to access their services. The government said it intends to follow a model similar to that adopted in Australia.
The measures form part of a broader package of online safety reforms that would also restrict livestreaming, communication with strangers, and certain AI-powered features for younger users.
The government said the new rules would go further than social media bans implemented elsewhere. Restrictions on potentially harmful online functions would apply across a wider range of digital services, including gaming platforms, while safeguards would remain enabled by default for 16 and 17-year-olds.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the plans represent a “line in the sand” for technology companies.
“Parents want to keep their kids safe and happy, but the online world has made that harder than ever,” he said. “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 government said support for tougher action was strong, citing a national consultation that received more than 116,000 responses. According to the findings, nine in ten parents supported a social media ban for children under 16.
Alongside the restrictions, the government will ask Ofcom to conduct a rapid review of age-assurance technologies capable of verifying whether users are over the age of 16. The regulator will also review its enforcement capabilities as ministers seek to strengthen compliance with the new rules.
The proposals would also require AI “romantic companion” chatbots that simulate intimate relationships to enforce a minimum age of 18. Similar intimate AI functions would be restricted for all users under 18.
If approved, the first regulations could come into force in spring 2027.
A crude tool
However, legal and technology experts have questioned whether the measures can be effectively enforced.
Matthew Holman, data and AI partner at law firm Cripps, said the government’s intentions were positive but warned that implementation could prove difficult.
“A ban on social media is a crude tool,” he said. “It has the right motive but will likely lead to the wrong outcome.”
Holman argued that enforcement remains one of the biggest challenges, pointing to what he described as limited regulatory capacity at both the Information Commissioner’s Office and Ofcom.
“Research suggests that seven out of ten children in Australia remain online despite the ban, because of the ease with which rules can be overcome and the lack of meaningful enforcement,” he said.
Holman added that age verification technology remains relatively immature and has yet to achieve widespread adoption among consumers.
Industry body the Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA UK) also raised concerns about the impact of blanket restrictions on young people’s access to digital services.
“Responsible companies are working hard to deliver a safer online experience for children,” said Matthew Sinclair, senior director and head of CCIA’s London office. “Ministers should be very careful about preventing teenagers from engaging with digital services which, for many of them, are a valued way to learn new skills, discover new interests and stay in touch with friends and family.”
Sinclair warned that broad restrictions could encourage young people to migrate towards less regulated online services, potentially undermining the government’s safety objectives.
