UK to ban social media platforms for under-16s

The government is also considering an overnight curfew and measures to stop infinite scrolling for under-18s.

The ban will cover social media platforms including Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and X, although a complete list has not been released. It will not ban messaging services like WhatsApp and Signal.

The government plans to use the same model for the social media ban as Australia.

However, it said it will also go further than a blanket ban on social media with what it described as a “world-leading blocks on functions such as livestreaming and stranger communication with children for under-16s. These restrictions, [combined] with the ban, go further than any other country [and] will apply to a wider range of online services, including gaming sites.”

Regulator Ofcom is set to conduct a rapid study to determine the most effective method for verifying whether someone is over 16.

Secretary of State Liz Kendall has also written to the new Chair of Ofcom to ask for an urgent review of Ofcom’s enforcement capabilities, with a clear enforcement strategy to be published as soon as possible.

In her letter, Kendall said the government will ensure Ofcom has the funding it needs to carry out its new responsibilities.

The announcement follows a national consultation, with more than 116,000 responses submitted by parents, children, and experts. Overall, nine in 10 parents said they would support a social media ban for children under 16.

The majority of young people also backed action, with two-thirds agreeing that children under 16 should not be allowed to use at least some social media platforms. 

In a statement, an Ofcom spokesperson said: “So far, Ofcom has driven some of the strongest changes of any online safety regulation in the world, from widespread age checks to grooming protections for children. But the industry needs to go much further to make people safe. The government has entrusted us to build on this progress with new measures to protect children, and we're ready to work closely with them as the detailed regulations take shape.”

Ofcom recently set out its plans to level the regulatory playing field between streaming platforms and traditional broadcasters, so viewers receive similar content protections. Discover more here.