UK to introduce social media ban for under-16s

The UK is set to introduce restrictions of under-16s accessing social media, likely to take effect from Spring 2027, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has announced.

Proposals, modelled on similar rules implemented in Australia in 2025, will prevent under-16s from accessing user-to-user platforms that enable social interaction and allow users to post content. Restrictions will also cover functions such as livestreaming and stranger communication with children for under-16s on a wider range of online services. Messaging services such as WhatsApp and Signal will not be included in the ban.

Restrictions are expected to further than those introduced in other countries, for example, restrictions in Australia are limited to 10 platforms: Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X, YouTube, Reddit and streaming platforms Kick and Twitch; while UK regulations will cover certain functions beyond social media, and an full list of platforms expected to be covered by the new rules has not been published.

Additionally, rules are also expected to be in place to prevent a ‘cliff-edge’ at 16, by requiring users under-18 to manually opt-in to restricted features, with other measures such as overnight curfews and breaks in infinite scrolling for under-18s also being considered.

Measures will also be in place to restrict functionalities of AI chatbots, requiring a minimum age of 18 for so-called ‘romantic companion’ chatbots and other intimate functionalities on AI chatbots more widely.

New rules are set to be enforced by Ofcom, which already has responsibility for enforcing the Online Safety Act, and has been tasked with exploring effective age verification options for over-16s.

While the increased restrictions are broadly supported by parents and young people, according to the findings of a call for input from government, and have been backed by teaching unions, Australia’s internet regulator understands that the majority of Australian young people were still circumventing the ban on social media, including through VPNs. The country’s eSafety Commission is also currently investigating non-compliance by Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube. Tech companies responsible for social media sites have criticised Australia’s rules, arguing they have pushed young people towards less regulated alternatives that lack the same protections and parental controls deployed by larger sites.

The social media ban for UK under-16s is expected to be put before Parliament before Christmas 2026, with rules to effect as early as Spring 2027.