Starmer says Britain will ban under-16s from using social media apps
including TikTok and YouTube
[June 15, 2026] By
SYLVIA HUI and BRIAN MELLEY
LONDON (AP) — Britain will ban children under 16 from using a range of
social media apps including Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube to protect
young people from harmful content and excessive screen time, Prime
Minister Keir Starmer said Monday,
Starmer told a news conference that he will fight back if technology
companies resist the move, and acknowledged some teens would try to find
their way around a ban. But he said he is “not prepared to compromise on
the safety and happiness of our children.”
“Every parent can see it with their own eyes. Social media is making
children unhappy," said Starmer, who has two teenage children. “I’ve
heard first hand from families crying out for change and we will do
right by them.”
The move, expected to take effect early next year, makes the U.K. part
of a growing global movement to tighten online safety for children.
Australia, Canada, Brazil and Indonesia have introduced legislation or
announced age-based restrictions or requirements for children’s access
to social media. France, Spain, Denmark, Thailand and South Korea are
among others studying or developing similar approaches.
The U.K. plans to follow the same model for a social media ban as
Australia, which last year became the first country to bar under-16s
from holding social media accounts. Platforms that fail to take
reasonable steps to exclude children younger than 16 could be punished
with multimillion-dollar fines.
The U.K. said its ban will apply to platforms including Snapchat,
TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X, but not YouTube Kids or
messaging services like WhatsApp and Signal. Starmer stressed that
enforcement action will target tech companies, not children.
The prime minister also said he will go further than Australia's
measures.
He said the government will act to prevent strangers from contacting
children on gaming and livestreaming platforms. Authorities are also
considering additional measures including overnight curfews and breaks
in infinite scrolling for those under 18. More details are expected next
month.
Starmer's announcement met with mixed reactions
The decision follows a public comment period in which the government got
116,000 responses from parents, the tech industry and children. The
number of responses was second only to one seeking input about same-sex
marriage in 2012.
The vast majority of respondents — more than 90% — wanted an under-16
ban, the government said.
Esther Ghey, whose 16-year-old daughter Brianna was killed in 2023 by
two teenagers who had accessed harmful content online, said the ban
would “potentially save so many children’s lives,” but had to be
accompanied by other measures.
NSPCC, a leading children's charity, praised the government's ambition
but urged authorities to ensure platforms roll out “robust age checks”
and effectively enforce the policy.
Others are more skeptical.
Critics including the Open Rights Group have expressed concerns about
age verification companies and how users' private data is protected.
[to top of second column] |
Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer attends a press conference to
announce government action to protect children online, at Downing
Street in central London, Monday, June 15, 2026. (Carlos Jasso/ Pool
Photo via AP)
 Reacting on Monday, a spokesperson
for YouTube warned that a blanket social media restriction could
"push kids out of such curated, supervised, beneficial experiences
and towards anonymous, less-safe services.”
Starmer acknowledged the challenges, but said success for the ban
would mean “a massive drop off of children on social media” and “a
cultural change, a sense that actually you can grow up differently.”
Starmer, elected just under two years ago, is under pressure to step
down from members of his own party over what they see as poor
leadership and could face a leadership challenge in the coming days
or weeks. He is seeking to bring in consequential measures that can
serve as a legacy.
The U.S. has opposed the move
The ban could further inflame tensions with the U.S., which has
warned that regulations should be narrow and not violate free speech
protections, according to a statement from the U.S. Embassy in
London. It said it was also concerned that regulations would place
greater burdens on American technology companies.
Starmer said he expected to discuss the issue with U.S. President
Donald Trump and other world leaders at a Group of Seven summit in
France that starts Monday.
“I honestly think that across world leaders, there has always been a
recognition that leaders have to take steps to protect children," he
said. “I don’t think that’s controversial. There will always be
arguments as to exactly what the limits of that are and what rules
should be in place, but I don’t see that as a problem."
Jon Crowcroft, a communications systems professor at the University
of Cambridge, said people supporting social bans are well-meaning
but probably misguided, and changes could prevent children from
accessing sites they need.
“There is a real risk this will drive some users to worse sites and
policing devices is close to impossible technically,” Crowcroft
said. “Policing platforms is far easier, if only regulators would
bother.”
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Associated Press writer Jill Lawless contributed to this story.
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