The UK announced on Monday that it would ban social media services from under-16s, amid growing pressure on governments around the world to keep children safe online.
The ban could include platforms such as Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and X, and the first set of regulations could come into effect as early as spring 2027.
The UK plans an approach modeled after the landmark Australian law passed late last year, but will go further by introducing additional restrictions on features deemed particularly harmful to children.
This includes blocking live streaming and communication with strangers for users under 16, but similar protections are enabled by default for 16 and 17-year-olds. The government is also considering measures to impose a nighttime curfew and limit infinite scrolling for minors.
“We have gone further than any other country in the world by banning social media for under-16s and introducing far-reaching protections to give children back their childhood,” Starmer said in a statement.
Mr Starmer told a press conference that social media was making children unhappy and was designed to make them addicted. He said the decision was not taken lightly and was inexpensive, noting that social media had some benefits for young people.
The ban comes after a number of high-profile incidents in the UK relating to social media and self-harm.
Critics argue that blanket bans would be ineffective and would simply stifle access to age-appropriate experiences through parental controls, and that young people would find ways to circumvent the ban. For example, the BBC reported that downloads of VPNs that hide users’ location to circumvent country-specific restrictions were on the rise in Australia before the ban.
A YouTube spokesperson told CNBC that the company is investing in “expert-driven, age-appropriate experiences and default protections for teens,” and that “a blanket ban would steer kids away from such curated, monitored, and beneficial experiences and toward anonymous, less secure services.”
“Tech companies had countless opportunities to keep children safe and failed to act. That’s why we’re taking power away from them and putting it back in the hands of parents,” said Technology Secretary Liz Kendall.
CNBC has reached out to the parent companies of potentially affected social media platforms for comment.
Mr Starmer said he met US President Donald Trump on Saturday and would meet again at the G7 meeting this afternoon to discuss “this issue and many other issues”.
—CNBC’s Kai Nicol-Schwarz and Sawdah Bhaimiya contributed to this report.
