British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, announced this Monday (15) that he will ban access to social networks for children under 16 and impose restrictions on gaming platforms and live broadcasts, in a counteroffensive against big technology companies that goes beyond what any other country has seen.
The drastic changes will “give children their childhood back”, Starmer said, detailing measures against platforms such as Snapchat, TikTok and Instagram, as well as gaming sites that allow communication between strangers and children.
“For me, it’s clear that a total ban is the right choice,” he told a news conference. “It will make a huge difference, it will make our children safer, happier, it will give them more time, more security, more freedom to grow and more opportunities.”
The British government has said it will adopt a similar model to Australia, which enacted a ban last December.
The measure will cover platforms such as YouTube, Facebook and X, but messaging services such as WhatsApp and Signal will not be included in the ban.
O , such as live broadcasts and communication with strangers with children under 16.
“Is there any situation in the real world where you would let your child connect with a stranger, an adult you don’t know? No, and that’s why we’re taking steps toward that end,” Starmer said.
Will the ban come into force in the coming months?
The government already has the power to take the first steps towards any ban, he said, with regulation to follow by the end of the year and the ban to come into force around next spring.
The Kingdom has increasingly toughened its approach to technology companies in recent years, encouraging or forcing them to impose age verification, adapt their algorithms and, most recently, prevent children from sharing nude images taken on cellphones.
But with a , Starmer decided to go further after talking to parents and considering the evidence from Australia.
The Prime Minister, who is likely to face a challenge to his leadership in the coming weeks, said people were rightly expecting action.
Australia was the first country to ban the use of social networks by children under 16, blocking them last December on platforms such as TikTok, YouTube (from Alphabet) and Instagram and Facebook (from Meta).
Since then, several countries have announced that they intend to regulate access to social media amid growing concerns about the impact on children’s health and safety.
Wide consultations
The UK consulted teachers, parents and young people on new restrictions, including a possible ban on under-16s, as well as curfews, time limits on apps and restrictions on what the government described as addictive design features.
The consultation received more than 116,000 responses from parents, industry representatives and young people. More than 83% of guardians who responded said the risks of social media outweigh the benefits, while 90% supported a minimum age of 16 to access social media platforms.
While many parents and politicians support the ban, some psychologists and researchers have said there is no proof it would work, and a group of students in London told the Reuters news agency they had a conflicted relationship with the technology.
