ban social – The U.K. plans to bar children under 16 from using major social media platforms, including Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X, while also restricting livestreaming, stranger communication, and access to gaming sites. The proposal would leave
London — The U.K. is moving toward a sweeping ban on social media for children under 16, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer saying the government will go further than other countries by blocking teens not just from platforms, but from specific “harmful functions.”
On Monday. Starmer said the proposed rules would also prevent children from accessing features such as livestreaming and the ability to communicate with strangers. He added that the restrictions would extend to gaming sites. and framed the decision around protecting children from content “designed to be addictive.”.
Under the plan, children under 16 would be barred from platforms including Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X. Messaging services such as WhatsApp would remain accessible.
The government also plans to restrict people under 18 from having artificial intelligence “romantic companions,” though Starmer did not lay out clear details on how that would work.
The legislation would put the onus on tech companies to make sure children aren’t using their services. Failure to comply could bring “huge fines.” Starmer said he hoped lawmakers would pass the regulations by late December, so the ban could come into force by the spring of 2027.
The U.K. is not acting in a vacuum. Australia banned under-16s from social media in December 2025, becoming the first country to impose such a measure. But in March. about 70% of parents polled by Australia’s internet regulator said their children were still on the platforms. having found ways to bypass age-gating systems.
Starmer said he was not deterred by those workarounds, arguing that the presence of loopholes isn’t a reason to abandon protections. “We don’t say: ‘Oh, look, a teenager managed to get a drink somehow, so let’s not bother banning drinks from children.’ That would be utterly ridiculous!”
Big tech companies are expected to fight the effort. Ten days ago, the U.S. Embassy in London published a notice about the proposed restrictions, voicing concerns that age-gating would not work as intended. The notice urged that children be protected in other ways while freedom of speech is preserved. The embassy also called parents “the first and best line of defense” for children.
Even so, Starmer and his government point to domestic support. Starmer said polling shows British parents overwhelmingly back a ban for under 16s.
The U.K. proposal lands as legal pressure on social media platforms builds elsewhere. In March. a Los Angeles jury ruled that Meta and YouTube were liable for creating products that led to harmful and addictive behavior by young users. That decision could provide a precedent for similar allegations against social media companies in other places.
More than a dozen other countries—including France. Denmark and Malaysia—were already considering steps to restrict children’s access to social media before the U.K. announced its plans. Ireland is among those countries. but in Greystones. a town south of Dublin. residents have been taking action on their own.
Greystones, described as affluent and scenic, has gained a reputation for raising children without smartphones. At a local youth cafe last month. CBS News asked a room of 11- and 12-year-olds whether they owned smartphones. and not a single child raised a hand. A girl named Sienna said, “My mom probably won’t let me till I’m 22,” which drew giggles from her classmates. A boy named Sam added that he had been told “scientists did this brain scan. ” arguing it was “the same brain as people — they’re thinking the same thing if they’re scrolling and drinking alcohol.”.
Rachel Harper, a principal at St. Patrick’s National School where the kids attend. said she noticed an increase in anxiety in her school three years ago after children returned to in-person classes following the COVID-19 pandemic. She told CBS News that she organized a community-wide survey, collecting 800 responses from educators across the town. The results showed that 95% of teachers reported heightened anxiety in their classrooms.
“We started looking at what were some of the reasons for the increase in anxiety levels,” Harper said. “The online world was definitely having an effect on the children.”
Harper then launched “It Takes a Village,” a community initiative built around the idea of giving children their childhood back. The first step was a voluntary code. with parents pledging not to give their children smartphones until they reached middle school. Many parents said the collective agreement made the difference.
For Alex Dobbs, a mother of four who signed on early, the commitment gave her a clearer way to set boundaries. “For me, it gave me the strength and the power I needed to say, ‘No, you’re not having this app, or I’m going to put that block on your phone,’” she said.
Community members also stressed that simply removing something isn’t enough. Game nights at the youth cafe were organized, and children were offered alternative entertainment. Dobbs said she let her children get pet lambs.
“Greystones has gotten that right,” she told CBS News. “As a parent, you’ve got to understand that you don’t just tell them ‘oh, don’t do this,’ you’ve got to give them something else. I’m not saying you have to have a lamb flock out the back. But it’s a great excuse to get out.”
Now in its third year, the initiative includes a mentor program at St Patrick’s National School. Under it. 15- and 16-year-old students visit the middle school and teach younger kids how to navigate phones and the online world responsibly when the time comes. In the local high school, those older students also have their phones locked away in pouches during the school day.
Teachers report that students are more focused during lessons, and parents say their children are sleeping better.
The kids describe their own shift in day-to-day life. High schooler Anne said. “I’m talking to my friends more.” She added: “I’m not worried about the notifications I have.” Alex. 12. put it more simply: “I feel like you should just be playing outside. Just not being on social media or having your nose stuck in a screen.”.
UK ban social media under 16 Keir Starmer Snapchat TikTok YouTube Instagram Facebook X WhatsApp livestreaming restrictions stranger communication gaming sites AI romantic companions age-gating fines Greystones smartphone ban It Takes a Village