UK Weighs Social Media Limits for Under-16 Users

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to announce new measures Monday that would significantly restrict young teenagers’ access to social media, aiming to protect children from harmful online content and excessive screen time.
The proposal would place the United Kingdom among a growing number of countries tightening online safety rules for children. Nations including Australia, Canada, Brazil, and Indonesia have already introduced or proposed age-based restrictions on social media use.
In a statement released Sunday, Starmer described online child safety as one of the most important issues facing modern society. He said the government would take a “world-leading” approach that prioritizes families and addresses concerns that current safeguards are inadequate.
According to reports from The Sunday Times, the planned measures could go beyond Australia’s ban on social media use for children under 16. In addition to restricting access to major platforms, the government is reportedly considering limits on AI chatbots, certain gaming-app features, and a nighttime curfew designed to reduce late-night screen use among older teenagers.
The proposed under-16 restrictions would reportedly cover major platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X, YouTube, Snapchat, Threads, Twitch, Kick, and Reddit.
The initiative follows a public consultation that received approximately 116,000 responses from parents, technology companies, and young people. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said most respondents—including many young people—supported an under-16 social media ban, though she emphasized that restrictions alone would not solve all online safety challenges.
The proposed rules could also increase tensions with the United States. The U.S. government has previously expressed concerns that broad online regulations could affect free speech protections and place additional burdens on American technology companies.
Not everyone supports the approach. Jon Crowcroft, a communications systems professor at University of Cambridge, warned that social media bans may unintentionally push young users toward less regulated websites and could be difficult to enforce. He argued that stronger regulation of online platforms themselves may be a more effective solution than restricting user access.
The government is expected to provide further details when Starmer formally unveils the proposal.