Sir Keir Starmer is expected to announce that the Government is pushing forward with a ban on social media for under-16s. The UK is expected to go further than a similar ban in Australia, with measures to stop teenagers using certain platforms, as well as curbing the daily usage for 16 and 17-year-olds. While some details of the policy remain unclear, here’s what to expect from Starmer’s plan which will be announced on Monday. Ban on social media sites The UK will follow Australia in
banning teenagers under the age of 16 from accessing some of the world’s biggest social media platforms. Platforms hit by the UK ban will include TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat. In Australia, under-16s are banned from using ten platforms, with Facebook, YouTube and Reddit also forbidden. A government source told The i Paper that the ban would not designate a set number of sites, because the policy would have to be flexible to change with the times. The messaging platform WhatsApp is not expected to be
included in the ban. Curfews for older teenagers As well as the outright ban for under-16s, the Government wants to introduce curfews for 16 and 17-year-olds. The idea of the curfews would be to prevent older teenagers from engaging in unhealthy late-night scrolling habits, which parents and teachers blame for damaging young people’s mental health and educational attainment. The i Paper understands that the precise details on the curfews will not be outlined on Monday, but Starmer’s announcement will set a direction of travel towards
the curbs. Chatbots and gaming The Government will introduce restrictions on romantic or sexual chatbots, while children will also be blocked from having conversations with strangers on gaming platforms. On Sunday, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said banning social media would not be a “silver bullet solution”, but needed to be part of a “basket of measures”. What has the PM said about the ban? Ahead of the announcement, Starmer said: “How we keep kids safe online is one of the biggest debates of our time.
As a dad, I know every parent wants their child to grow up safe and happy. “This is a choice about whose side we’re on: families across the country, or a status quo that isn’t working. “People rightly expect action, and this government will always stand up for parents and put children first. “That’s why we will call time on a system that’s failing our kids and take bold action to give every child the best possible start in life.” What do parents think? In
the Government’s consultation on a social media ban, nine in ten parents said they supported a minimum age of 16 before platforms can offer their services to children. Eighty-three per cent said that social media risks outweigh the benefits for children. However, not everyone agrees on an outright ban. Ian Russell – the father of 14-year-old Molly Russell, who took her own life after viewing harmful content online – said he thought that Starmer had “rushed” the plan for political reasons, which he said was
“deplorable”. The Molly Rose Foundation argues that a ban “will fail to tackle fundamental product safety risks and leave parents with a false sense of safety”. Feryal Clark, the Labour MP for Enfield North who co-chairs the Digital Creators All-Party Parliamentary Group, has meanwhile raised concerns about young people losing access to educational content on platforms like YouTube. She said: “High-quality, creator-led educational video content is a critical public resource and is not the same thing as media.” “Any legislative intervention must address this distinction,”
she added. What don’t we know? It is not yet clear when the ban will come into effect. However, the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act passed earlier this year gives ministers the ability to introduce new measures to restrict harmful features on online services without needing to pass new laws. This means there is potential for the ban to be introduced quickly.
UK social media ban under-16s curfew 16 17 TikTok Instagram Snapchat WhatsApp chatbots gaming strangers
So they’re just banning TikTok now? Cool cool.
This feels like a parents problem being handled by the government. Like, my kid isn’t scrolling at 2am, but apparently everybody is? Also what about WhatsApp, if they’re only blocking “some” stuff.
Wait so in the UK they can’t use Facebook/YouTube/Reddit too? Or is it just TikTok Instagram Snapchat? I saw Australia mentioned so I assumed it’s the exact same list, which is weird if it’s not even set.
Curfew for 16 and 17 year olds sounds like they’re trying to be the bedtime police. And “restrictions on romantic or sexual chatbots”?? next they’re gonna say games cause ADHD or whatever. I don’t even know how they’d enforce it, like do they just turn off your whole account at midnight? Half the time the details are unclear but people will still panic and say it’s for mental health.