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British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has today announced that under-16s in the U.K. are to be banned from social media.
The U.K. follows Australia’s ban on social media and a growing global movement that has seen many other countries enforcing or considering similar bans.
Starmer says his country’s ban “possibly goes a bit further” than Australia’s, which prevents under-16s from being on social media platforms and fines tech firms if they refuse to remove those accounts.
The U.K.’s ban will apply to YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat, and X. Messaging services like WhatsApp and Signal will not be affected. The ban will come into effect next year.
“Thousands of parents say their children are addicted to social media,” says Starmer. “It can leave them trapped in a cycle of endless scrolling that displaces play, sleep, and time with the family. It can harm their mental health, and frankly, that’s why parents need our support on this. That is why today the government has decided to ban social media access for children under 16.”
Starmer says the ban is “not an easy thing to do” and that officials will have to “adapt our approach as technology changes.” The Prime Minister adds that the decisions have been resisted and will continue to face resistance from “some of the most powerful companies in the world.” He says: “We will take them on, and we will win.”
We are banning social media access for under 16s.
These days kids must find their feet in a world where technology intrudes into every area of their life.
I just can’t let that go on anymore. So we’re giving children their childhoods back. pic.twitter.com/jn7iQrcwk8
— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) June 15, 2026
“Social media is making our children unhappy and unsafe,” Starmer adds. “And as a parent, as much as a prime minister, I can’t let that go on anymore because our children deserve better.”
The Associated Press reports that Starmer currently finds himself on thin ice politically and members from within his own ruling Labour party are expected to mount a leadership challenge against him. Today’s announcement could be seen as a politician attempting to leave a legacy before he is ousted.
Starmer says he will discuss the ban with President Donald Trump, who is unlikely to welcome the ban. Last week, the White House urged the U.K. not to enforce the ban since it could impose a “disproportionate” burden on U.S. tech firms.
Image credits: Header photo licensed via Depositphotos.
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