LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday announced a forthcoming total ban on social media for children under 16, saying that such platforms are “making children unhappy.”
Starmer said that the government “will ban access to social media for all children under the age of 16,” warning that these platforms are “exposing them to content that is dangerous” and “designed to be addictive.”
The government said the ban will “include platforms like Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X” but not messaging services such as WhatsApp.
He added he hoped to pass the regulation by late December and for the ban to come into force in spring next year.
The prime minister also said the government would go further and take “world-leading action on gaming services and live streaming platforms.”
The government said in a statement it would also be considering overnight curfews and breaks in infinite scrolling for under 18s, and would announce more detail in July.
Starmer said the upcoming ban was influenced by the experience of Australia, which in December became the first nation to ban people under 16 from social media.
The announcement follows a government-led consultation where British teenagers trialled social media bans and time limits on apps.
A spokesperson for YouTube responded with a warning that such a blanket ban would push children towards “less safe services.”
Starmer said that the government was “taking action” on gaming services and live streaming platforms that allow strangers to contact children.
“Is there a situation in the offline world where you would just let your child pair up with a stranger? An adult that you don’t know about? No. So we’re taking action on that,” he said, without giving details.
Canada’s culture minister last week introduced legislation that would ban children under 16 from having social media accounts and require AI chatbot services to limit production of harmful content.
The proposed Digital Safety Act makes Canada the latest in a number of countries cracking down on social media platforms over concerns of harm to children.
Indonesia began enforcing its own social media ban for users under the age of 16 in March, while several European governments have announced their desire to make similar moves.