Saif Ali Khan
The UK government has announced plans to ban children under the age of 16 from using major social media platforms, describing the move as a landmark effort to improve online safety and protect young people’s mental health.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the new policy is designed to give children a safer environment by reducing their exposure to harmful content, cyberbullying, and addictive online features. The proposed legislation is expected to place responsibility on technology companies to prevent under-16s from accessing their platforms rather than punishing young users themselves.
Under the plans, popular services including TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, Facebook, and X would be covered by the ban. Messaging applications such as WhatsApp and Signal are expected to remain available because they primarily provide private communication rather than algorithm-driven social feeds.
The government also intends to introduce stricter online safety measures, including limits on livestreaming and preventing under-16s from receiving messages from strangers on certain platforms. Additional proposals, such as digital curfews and restrictions on endless scrolling for teenagers, are also being considered.
The announcement follows a nationwide consultation that received more than 116,000 responses, with around 90% of parents supporting a minimum age of 16 for social media access. Campaigners and child safety organisations have largely welcomed the decision, arguing that it could help reduce online harms affecting young people.
However, critics have questioned whether the ban will be effective, warning that determined teenagers may find ways to bypass age-verification systems. Others have raised concerns about privacy, free speech, and the potential for children to migrate to less regulated online spaces.
If approved by Parliament, the measures are expected to come into force from next year, making the UK one of a growing number of countries introducing strict age limits for social media use.
