Social media ban for under-16s ‘watershed moment for child protection’

The restrictions, to be in place by spring next year, will leave technology firms, rather than children, liable for enforcement action.

Under-16s in the UK could be banned from using social media by spring next year in what has been hailed a “watershed moment for child protection”.

Bereaved parents and child safety campaigners welcomed Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s announcement as a necessity for young people who they say are exposed to harmful content online.

But some big tech firms have hit back, saying a blanket ban on social media for under-16s could drive them into unregulated online spaces.

Some online safety campaigners have also expressed doubt, with the Molly Rose Foundation claiming it could be “unenforceable” and that the Prime Minister had chosen “not to follow the evidence but take the politically expedient option instead”.

The foundation, set up in memory of 14-year-old Molly Russell, who took her own life in 2017 after viewing harmful content online, suggested a ban might fail to address what it describes as “fundamental product safety issues” such as harmful and distressing content being pushed to people through personalised algorithms.

Sir Keir, announcing the ban on Monday, said the move will give youngsters back their childhood and, while acknowledging some might try to find their way around a ban, he said he would not compromise on the “safety and happiness of our children”.

The ban was announced in response to concerns that social media is unsafe, making children miserable, and could cause lasting damage to their mental health.

The restrictions, to be passed by Christmas and in place by spring next year, will leave technology firms, rather than children, liable for enforcement action if they fail to comply.

There will also be measures to prevent children from chatting with adults on gaming and livestreaming platforms.

The Government is also looking at potential overnight curfews and breaks in infinite scrolling for under-18s, with more details expected next month.

Artificial intelligence (AI) “romantic companion” chatbots designed to simulate sexual relationships with users will have a minimum age of 18, while more general AI tools will have similar functions restricted for children.

Ellen Roome, whose son Jools Sweeney was 14 when he took his own life in 2022 in an incident she believes could have been linked to an online challenge gone wrong, said it was an emotional moment hearing the PM announce the ban.

She told the Press Association: “Sitting with the other bereaved parents, we all did shed a tear.”

She said it was “heart-breaking” that the change is coming “too late” for their own children but that she and others are “desperately trying to make a difference for the rest of the children in the UK”.

At a Downing Street press conference Sir Keir said the ban was a “big moment for our country” and that he was clear “that a full ban is the right choice”.

The Prime Minister, father of two teenagers, said “every parent can see it with their own eyes” that “social media is making children unhappy”.

He said social media was “making it easier for bullies to harass and abuse” children and “could even be harming their mental health – exposing them to content that is dangerous, because that’s what grabs the attention”.

The ban is expected to cover platforms like Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X but not messaging services like WhatsApp and Signal.

Sir Keir suggested YouTube Kids, Lego Play and Google Classroom would not be covered by the prohibition.

The social media ban follows a similar move in Australia, where there has been criticism about the way it is enforced, with some youngsters making use of  virtual private networks (VPNs) and other methods to get around it.

The Government intends to use highly-effective age assurance (HEAA) measures to make it more difficult for children to dodge the ban.

Those methods could include facial age estimates, photo ID or bank checks according to guidance from regulator Ofcom.

Sir Keir, comparing the way some children still try to drink alcohol despite it being prohibited for under-18s, said “we do not then say, ‘in which case let us abandon any attempt to stop them buying alcohol’, we say ‘let’s improve the enforcement of what we’re doing’”.

The NSPCC called the announcement a “watershed moment for child protection” and said the Government “must ensure that there are robust age checks on platforms” and “an effective enforcement regime”.

The move comes as Sir Keir is fighting for his political future ahead of the Makerfield by-election on Thursday, which could see Andy Burnham return to Westminster to launch a campaign to replace him as prime minister and Labour leader.

Tory former education minister Lord Nash, who led parliamentary efforts to change the law, said the Government had done “an excellent job” and that “with robust enforcement this will truly be a game-changer”.

Save The Children UK’s senior adviser Jeffrey Demarco echoed the Molly Rose Foundation by saying a blanket ban “may look protective on paper, but instead pushes children into less regulated spaces, where they are less likely to seek help when something goes wrong”.

England’s Children’s Commissioner welcomed the social media ban but suggested it should be extended to all children – to include those aged under 18 rather than stopping at 16.

Dame Rachel de Souza said while the ban is “positive”, the debate must be reset “from banning children to banning the companies who fail to show that their services protect children’s safety and wellbeing”.

Girlguiding said the ban must not be “the end of the national conversation about young people’s safety when using technology”, and urged “further action to address the root causes of online harms”.

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch, who described the ban as “an important step”, said Sir Keir had been forced into a U-turn over the issue after initially resisting a ban.

Reform UK’s Nigel Farage said the ban was “well-intentioned” but “unlikely to work given the mass adoption of VPNs” and warned of “the introduction of digital ID via the back door”.