UK bans social media for under-16s, sets gaming curbs and infinite scroll limits as Starmer vows to 'give kids their childhood back'

The UK ban

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer unveiled what he called a full ban on social media for children under 16 during a 15 June press conference. The measures block access to platforms whose purpose is user-to-user social interaction with algorithmic content feeds, meaning Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X are all covered. Messaging services such as WhatsApp and music streaming will be exempt, along with education-focused tools like YouTube Kids and Google Classroom.

“It is clear to me a full ban is the right choice.”

Gaming, livestreaming and scrolling limits

The package goes beyond Australia’s 2025 legislation by adding “world-leading blocks” on livestreaming and stranger contact on gaming platforms. Starmer argued that no parent would knowingly let a child pair up with an unknown adult offline, and he said the rules would stop that happening online. The government also said it would examine overnight curfews and breaks in infinite scrolling for under-18s, with 16- and 17‑year‑olds defaulted into the same restricted functionalities as younger teens.

Enforcement and timeline

Starmer stressed enforcement would target platforms, not children who find workarounds. Regulator Ofcom will run a rapid study on age-verification methods and receive a new enforcement mandate and funding. The government aims to pass regulations before Christmas 2026, with the ban taking effect early next year, though some officials cite spring 2027 as a more likely start. A full policy response is due in July.

Global wave of restrictions

Australia became the first country to ban social media for under-16s on 10 December 2025, with fines of up to A$49.5 million. Several other jurisdictions have moved in the same direction: Denmark barred under-15s (with parental opt‑ins to 13), France passed an under-15 ban in the National Assembly, and Greece said it is very close to one. China enforces a “minor mode” with device‑level screen‑time caps, while Germany requires parental consent for 13‑ to 16‑year‑olds and India’s chief economic adviser has called for age restrictions.

202584%

202678%

2025

84 %

2026

78 %

Data from the article text

EU edges towards a common position

Taoiseach Micheál Martin said “momentum is building” for a pan‑European approach after a meeting convened by French President Emmanuel Macron and a Commission working group set up by Ursula von der Leyen. Martin and European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, speaking in Dublin ahead of Ireland’s EU presidency, argued that a coherent EU‑wide set of rules would be more powerful than individual member‑states acting alone. Metsola noted that Irish campaigner Jackie Fox’s push against cyberbullying had already spurred a unified parliament position on the issue.

“As a mother, these things keep me up at night.”

Early evidence from Australia

A Pureprofile survey cited by tech journalists found that 84 % of Australian under-16s still had sustained access to banned platforms in 2025, falling only to 78 % in 2026. Nearly a third used the face‑scanning age‑verification tools meant to exclude them, and almost half were judged by the scanners to be over 16. Critics argue the ban risks lowering standards for all internet users by normalising widespread collection of ID and biometric data.