Amid UK government proposals for a ban, experts discuss what other activities might really serve children wellWhen a Lancashire schoolgirl was asked what she would do if the proposed social media ban for under-16s came into effect, her answer hit a national nerve: “Stare at a wall,” she deadpanned.The clip went viral, not least because it distilled a question many parents have been asking themselves about the consequences of the government’s proposed social media ban. Continue reading...
Some feel this is a concrete step to protect children, but others argue ‘we’re trying to fix the symptoms and not the disease’The UK government has announced a social media ban for under-16s, which it says is expected to come into force next spring.Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, X and Facebook will all be blocked. It will also ban under-16 access for “user-to-user platforms” that enable social interaction between users and allow them to post material. Continue reading...
UK prime minister says move will bring ‘real change for our children’ amid growing concerns over harmful online contentAccess to social media will be banned in the UK for users under 16, Keir Starmer has announced, in what he described as “real change for our children and our future”.“Social media is making children unhappy, it’s making it easier for bullies to harass and abuse them, and it could even be harming their mental health,” he said, setting out plans briefed over the weekend, which will go further than a pioneering ban in Australia. Continue reading...
Prime minister expected to unveil ‘Australia plus’ ban for under-16s on apps such as TikTok, Instagram and SnapchatGood morning. In Downing Street officials reportedly refuse to talk about Keir Starmer wanting to establish a legacy. But it is hard for the rest of us to avoid the word, particularly on a morning when he has summoned reporters to Downing Street for an 8am press conference on his plans for a social media ban. In lobby terms, this counts as unconscionably early. The announcement could easily wait. But Starmer is heading to France for the G7 summit later, that will keep him busy until Wednesday night, and on Thursday it’s the Makerfield byelection. This is an annoucement that Starmer is determined to make before then because Andy Burnham seems on course to become an MP in the early hours of Friday and at that point UK politics may start to change drastically – and Starmer’s window for legacy making may swiftly close.Last summer the UK government showed little interest in following the Australian government when it announced its social media ban for under-16s. Within months the view in government was changing, and by early 2026 Starmer said there would definitely be some sort of crackdown. But he suggested he was still undecided between a full social media ban for under-16s, and alternative measures to crackdown on the worst features of these apps.It’s shameful that it’s taken the prime minister’s job to be on the line for the government to finally u-turn and ban social media for under 16s.Three times Labour voted against a ban, failing to stand up to Big Tech and protect children from the extreme content they are exposed to every day. Continue reading...
Sources say hardline measures will also prevent young users from being to talk to strangers on gaming appsKeir Starmer will ban under-16s from major social media apps such as TikTok, Instagram and X in sweeping restrictions described as “Australia plus”, the Guardian understands.Teenagers will be banned from all the main social platforms and online products that are not covered by the ban – such as gaming apps – will face new restrictions such as having the option to chat to strangers removed. There will also be restrictions for older teenagers up to the age of 18 that prevent “scrolling” late at night – after 8.30pm. Continue reading...
Keir Starmer to set out plans on Monday but there are fears a decision to ban some platforms but not others will lead to legal challengesTeenagers under the age of 16 are to be banned from accessing “high-risk” social media apps while safer platforms will be subjected to restrictions, under a sweeping government crackdown.Under-18s will also be banned from using romantic or sexual AI chatbots after a consultation on keeping children safe online. Continue reading...
Trump administration says restrictions could impose ‘disproportionate’ burden on US tech companiesUK politics live – latest updatesThe White House has urged the UK not to impose a social media ban for under-16s, as it said restrictions could impose a “disproportionate” burden on US tech firms.In a submission to a government consultation on online safety, the US government came out against “prescribed one-size-fits-all government restrictions” and “blunt regulatory instruments” to address online harms to children. Continue reading...
Molly Rose Foundation says government should instead set strict safety standards for appsA rushed under-16s social media ban in the UK could unravel and families will be left to count the cost, a leading child safety charity has warned.The Molly Rose Foundation (MRF) said an age limit on the use of tech platforms could unravel, after a report that the prime minister, Keir Starmer, is to announce a ban on under-16s accessing “harmful” social media apps. Continue reading...
Former health secretary says he unsuccessfully argued for tougher action when in cabinetGood morning. The government has been consulting on whether to follow Australia and impose a ban on social media for under-16s, or whether to opt for other restrictions, and the consultation ends at 11.59pm tonight. Keir Starmer is expected to announce the government’s response soon afterwards. He has already said that there will be action of some sort. Last year ministers were sceptical about following the Australian example, but this is an issue where opinion – both in government, and in society more broadly – has been shifting very quickly.This morning Wes Streeting, the former health secretary who is running what is in effect a leadership campaign, has intervened. As the Guardian reports, he has said that a social media ban for under-16s “must be the start, not the end” and he has compared the sector to the tobacco industry.Streeting restated his claim that social media is like the tobacco industry and suggested that, just as tobacco bosses did in the mid-20th century, social media executives have been suppressing evidence about the full extent of the harm caused by their products. He said:What we’ve seen from Big Tech is behaviour akin to Big Tobacco … We know from whistleblowers that in the tech industry, among those who are responsible for designing technology, including social media platforms, that are changing every aspect of our lives, they know that the product they’re designing is addictive, they know that it is harmful, and the business model is orientated towards getting kids while they’re young, addicting them with the design features that are designed for addiction, to grab your attention and keep you on their platform for as long as possible.He said there was a “growing body of evidence” about the ways in which social media is harmful.And then we see the consequences beginning to emerge through the growing body of evidence about the impact of this technology on childhood, whether that is sleep, concentration, learning, health, wellbeing, including mental health.The harms are evident.He claimed governmments around the world had been “asleep at the wheel” on this issue. “Frankly, legislators, regulators, have been asleep at the wheel on this,” he said.He suggested that Keir Starmer had been “behind the curve” on this issue. While he was not overly criticial of the PM on this issue, suggesting that governments around the world have been slow to confront social media companies on this issue, he made it clear that he thought the Starmer government could have acted more quickly. He said that he was speaking out now because he was “liberated from the obligations of collective responsibility”. He said the arguments he was making in public today were the ones he was making privately in government, “in a number of cabinet committees and meetings”, and that he “pushed as hard as I could”. He said the government was now moving to a “better position”, but he suggested Starmer could have acted more quickly.To be fair to Liz Kendall, the science and technology secretary, she came into office [in September last year], she’s gripped this, she’s chosen to run a rapid consultation with the principle of how to implement restrictions, rather than whether. That’s all positive. And I trust Liz Kendall to act quickly following the closure of the consultation today.And we must, because, as I say, we’re behind the curve. Continue reading...
Former health secretary’s intervention comes as government closes consultation on age limits for social media platformsSocial media companies should be treated like the tobacco industry, Wes Streeting has argued, as he called for a ban on under-16s accessing certain platforms.Speaking publicly about the prospect of a ban for the first time since he left government, the former health secretary said one was needed because large technology companies were trying to dodge regulations. Continue reading...