UK plans to ban social media for under-16s

British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer says he will ban social media sites for the under-16s and impose restrictions on gaming and live streaming platforms in some of the most far-reaching online restrictions globally.

Mr Starmer said on Monday he would introduce sweeping changes to social media regulation to better protect the wellbeing of children when they were online.

"It is clear to me a full ban is the right choice," he said, adding that while it would not be easy, the government had agency in pushing back against the power of big technology companies.

Britain has increasingly toughened its approach to tech companies in recent years, urging or forcing them to impose age verification, adapt their algorithms and, most recently, prevent children from circulating nude images taken on mobile phones.

But with a growing awareness of the mental health risks posed by children spending too much time online, Sir Keir has decided to go further after speaking to parents and considering evidence from Australia, which brought in a ban for under-16s last year.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese took to X to congratulate Sir Keir.

"Social media giants operate across borders," he said.

"By standing together, we can do more to hold them accountable and keep children safe online."

Sir Keir, who is likely to face a leadership challenge in the coming weeks, said people rightly expected action.

"This will change the conversations that parents have and the expectations of children over time," 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."

UK Opposition Leader Kemi Badenoch was also supportive of the move, posting on X that the ban was "an important step in helping parents protect childhood for children".

But not everyone was so enthusiastic about the idea, with UK Reform leader Nigel Farage saying he did not think a ban would work.

"Whilst the social media ban is well-intentioned, it's unlikely to work given the mass adoption of VPNs [virtual private networks]," he posted on X

"It will also mean the introduction of Digital ID via the back door.

"The real answer here is handsets for children with limited features."

The UK is following Australia's lead and is going to ban social media for under-16s. ( BTN High )

As well as a ban on sites such as TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram, Mr Starmer said he would take action against gaming and live streaming services that allow children to talk to strangers.

"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? No, so we're taking action on that," he said.

Australia leads the way

Australia was the first country to ban social media for children under 16 , blocking them in December from platforms including TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook.

Since then, a raft of countries have said they were looking to regulate access to social media amid mounting concerns over the impact on children's health and safety.

Britain has consulted teachers, parents and young people on new restrictions, including a possible ban for under-16s, as well as curfews, app time limits and curbs on what the government has described as addictive design features.

It received more than 116,000 responses from parents, industry and young people.

More than 83 per cent of parents who responded said risks from social media outweighed benefits, while 90 per cent backed a minimum age of 16 to access social media platforms.

While many parents and politicians backed a ban, some psychologists and researchers have said there was no proof that it would work, and a group of school children in London said they had a conflicted relationship with the technology.

The government already has the powers to take the first steps in any ban, Mr Starmer said, with regulation to follow by the end of the year and a prohibition in place in the first half of next year.

Britain has increasingly toughened its approach to tech companies in recent years, urging or forcing them to impose age verification, adapt their algorithms and, most recently, prevent children from circulating nude images taken on mobile phones.

Reuters/ABC