UK to Ban Social Media for Under-16s Starting Next Year

The restrictions will cover user-to-user services and certain algorithmic features beginning next year. The policy follows similar steps in Australia and planned measures in Spain, France, and Norway. It will apply to platforms including Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and X.

Messaging services such as WhatsApp and Signal are exempt. Livestreaming and stranger-to-under-16 communication will be blocked on a wider range of services, including gaming sites.

Ofcom will conduct a rapid study on highly effective age assurance methods. Officials said the approach aims to avoid the bypass issues reported in Australia. "This is a line in the sand. Tech giants had their chance and failed, but we’re stepping in to protect children, back parents and set a new normal for future generations," said prime minister Keir Starmer.

Romantic companion chatbots and similar intimate AI functionalities must enforce a minimum age of 18. The government described the package as a first step that may be expanded later.

Julian Hayes, surveillance and data protection lawyer at BCL Solicitors, said the rules contain contradictions. He noted tensions between protecting teens online while allowing them to join the military or vote at 16. Professor David Ellis, chair of behavioral science at the University of Bath, said the ban is based on worry rather than evidence.

He added that social media has a minuscule effect on teenagers once other developmental factors are considered. Alex Laurie, GTM CTO at Ping Identity, called for privacy-first age verification that avoids collecting unnecessary personal data. He said the technology exists and urged tech companies to act with urgency.