The United Kingdom will implement a ban preventing children under 16 from accessing major social media platforms starting early next year, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on Monday. The measure aims to protect young people from harmful online content and excessive screen time, making the UK one of several countries tightening regulations around children's use of social media.

The proposed ban will apply to platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X, YouTube, Snapchat, Threads, Twitch, Kick, and Reddit. Messaging apps such as WhatsApp and Signal, along with services designed specifically for children like YouTube Kids, will be exempt. The government also plans to restrict under-18s’ access to certain features, such as livestreaming and communication with adults, and is considering imposing curfews and limits on infinite scrolling for older teens aged 16 and 17.

Starmer emphasized the policy’s intent to prioritize children’s well-being, noting that social media’s “addictive” design negatively impacts mental health and contributes to unhappiness among young users. “I am not prepared to compromise on the safety and happiness of our children,” Starmer said, describing the ban as a “world-leading” approach that goes beyond similar measures seen in Australia, the first country to ban social media for under-16s last December.

The government is exploring methods to enforce the ban through age verification technologies, such as facial age estimation, digital identification checks, and third-party services. These would be integrated at the device level, potentially during phone setup, to avoid requiring repeated age checks for different apps. However, tech companies like Apple and Google have expressed concerns about the privacy and logistical implications of holding legal responsibility for widespread age verification.

Social media firms, including Meta and YouTube's parent company Google, criticized the plan, arguing that blanket bans could drive children towards unregulated or less safe platforms without built-in protections or parental controls. Meta highlighted the risk of isolating teens and pushing them to anonymous environments, while YouTube warned that such bans might encourage users to seek out anonymous and potentially harmful services.

Experts are divided on the effectiveness of such bans. Some researchers question whether they will genuinely reduce harm to children’s mental health, while others warn that young users may circumvent restrictions using tools like virtual private networks (VPNs), potentially exposing them to riskier online spaces. Jon Crowcroft, a communications professor at the University of Cambridge, cautioned that removing access to mainstream platforms might redirect children to darker corners of the internet and criticized regulatory bodies for insufficient enforcement of existing platform policies.

The announcement follows extensive public consultation, in which over 116,000 responses were received, with a majority supporting an under-16 ban. Polling indicates substantial public backing, with roughly 70% of adults favoring the ban. However, some critics pointed to contradictions in the government’s stance, noting the simultaneous lowering of the voting age to 16 while restricting younger teens’ online activity.

The UK joins a growing number of countries, including Canada, Brazil, Indonesia, France, Spain, Denmark, South Korea, and others, in pursuing regulatory frameworks aimed at limiting young people's exposure to potentially harmful social media content. Details on enforcement mechanisms and additional protective measures, such as nighttime curfews and limits on infinite scrolling for older teens, are expected to be released in the coming months as the government prepares for full implementation next spring.