The UK government is preparing to implement a ban on social media use by under-16s early next year, while signaling readiness to face legal challenges from technology companies opposing the measure. Ian Murray, the digital minister, expressed a defiant stance toward anticipated lawsuits during a discussion at the Labour Party conference, stating, “Bring it on,” in response to predictions that tech firms would contest the restrictions in court.

The proposed policy marks a shift from models such as Australia’s, which enforce a binary approach to platform access for minors—either fully included or excluded from the ban. Instead, the UK plans to adopt a Canadian-style “presumptive ban,” where platforms would initially be prohibited from hosting users under 16 but may qualify for exemptions if they remove or modify features deemed unsafe. These features could include infinite scrolling, algorithm-driven content feeds, addictive elements, and enabling communications with strangers.

Murray emphasized the complexity of the legislative process, acknowledging that two substantial pieces of primary and secondary legislation must be enacted by December to facilitate the ban’s introduction. He also indicated forthcoming regulations specifically targeting artificial intelligence chatbots, warning of the need for rigorous enforcement due to attempts by companies to circumvent rules, describing it as a “bit whack-a-mole.”

The government’s recalibrated approach appears influenced by advocacy groups such as the Molly Rose Foundation and the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC), which have argued that an outright ban without flexibility could reduce incentives for platforms to improve safety and potentially drive children toward more hazardous, unregulated digital spaces.

Experts have likened the regulatory framework to high-safety industries. Owen Bennett, former head of international online safety at Ofcom, suggested the system would require companies to demonstrate platform safety to regulators, similar to frameworks overseeing nuclear energy or building safety.

Supporters of the initiative, including Andy Burrows, chief executive of the Molly Rose Foundation, have welcomed the interventionist stance, praising the government’s “smarter social media ban” as a step toward incentivizing safer online environments for children.

In parallel with these regulatory efforts, more than 100 Members of Parliament have urged Google and Apple to mandate nudity-blocking technology on devices used by children. In a letter to the companies, MPs described the absence of such protections as “unacceptable,” insisting that urgent action is necessary to safeguard young users from harmful content while acknowledging that adults have the capacity and responsibility to do so.