The United Kingdom government has announced plans to ban children under the age of 16 from accessing major social media platforms as part of a far-reaching effort to strengthen online safety protections for young people. The policy, championed by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, is expected to affect platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, YouTube, and X.
According to the government, the move is designed to shield children from harmful content, excessive screen time, online predators, and addictive platform features that can negatively affect mental health and wellbeing. The reforms form part of what officials describe as one of the most significant overhauls of child online safety regulations in a generation.
Under the proposals, social media companies will be required to implement stronger age-verification measures to prevent under-16s from creating or maintaining accounts on restricted platforms. Regulators are expected to oversee compliance, while companies that fail to enforce the rules could face substantial penalties.
The policy also includes additional safeguards such as restrictions on under-16s communicating with strangers online, limitations on livestreaming features, and bans on access to romantic or sexual AI chatbots. Further measures targeting excessive online engagement, including controls on endless scrolling and late-night usage, are also under consideration.
Government consultations reportedly showed strong public support for stricter online protections, with a large majority of parents backing the introduction of a minimum age requirement for social media access.
While supporters have welcomed the initiative as a major step toward protecting children, critics have raised concerns about enforcement challenges, privacy implications, and the possibility that young people could migrate to less regulated online spaces. Technology companies and digital rights advocates have also called for careful implementation to balance child protection with privacy and freedom of expression.
If fully implemented, the United Kingdom would join a growing number of countries introducing stricter regulations on children's use of social media as governments worldwide seek to address concerns over online safety and digital wellbeing.
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