The UK government has announced plans to ban social media for all children under 16, with rules set to take effect in spring 2027. This move aims to protect young people from harmful online content and ‘give them their childhood back,’ as British Prime Minister Keir Starmer puts it.
In addition to the ban, the government is proposing restrictions on livestreaming and stranger communication for under-16s, with similar rules applying by default for 16- and 17-year-olds. Meanwhile, ‘AI romantic companion’ chatbots will be required to enforce a minimum age of 18.
Communications regulator Ofcom will determine the specific age-verification systems that social media platforms must use to comply with these new rules. The decision follows a consultation which attracted over 116,000 responses.
The ban will not apply to messaging services like WhatsApp and Signal, but it raises questions about the future of online communication for young people in the UK.
