Reuters
Starting next year, children under the age of 6 in the UK will be barred from accessing social media. Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated that he expects to pass the relevant legislation before Christmas, promising to push back if tech companies try to block it.
Starmer did not specify which apps would be banned, promising “not to compromise” on children’s safety and well-being.
The UK is thus joining a growing global movement to strengthen online safety for the youngest users. Australia, Canada, Brazil, and Indonesia have already passed relevant laws or announced age restrictions and new requirements for children’s access to social media.
In other countries, including Spain, Denmark, and South Korea, similar initiatives are still under discussion and development. In France, there is debate over whether to completely block teenagers’ access to social media in general or limit it to specific platforms.
The government has called on tech companies to take “reasonable measures” to prevent children from accessing social media, including through the use of age verification technologies. Options for logging into an account could include facial or voice recognition systems, ID verification, or so-called age prediction systems. Amid pressure from fellow party members demanding Starmer’s resignation due to what they consider weak leadership, the prime minister announced that British law would “stay ahead of global trends.” According to him, the ban will be stricter than in other countries. For example, older teenagers will be subject to an internet curfew, as well as restrictions on the use of AI-powered chatbots.
The decision followed public consultations, during which authorities received 116,000 responses from parents, representatives of the IT industry, and the children themselves. According to the survey, 90% of adults, as well as the teenagers themselves, supported the ban, said Culture Minister Lisa Nandi, adding that such a step should be accompanied by other measures.
Australia Sets an Example
Starting in December 2025, all minors under the age of 16 in Australia will be prohibited from using social media. Children are not allowed to access platforms such as TikTok, X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Snapchat, nor are they permitted to create new accounts on these platforms.
Australia has become the first country in the world to adopt such a strict restriction.
Neither children nor parents are held responsible for non-compliance. For serious or systematic violations, fines of up to 49.5 million Australian dollars (30.2 million euros) are imposed on the social media platforms themselves.
However, some observers note that British teenagers may not give up their current positions without a fight. “There is a real risk that this will push some users toward even more dangerous sites, and it is technically almost impossible to monitor all devices,” noted John Crowcroft, a professor of communications systems at the University of Cambridge. “It would be much easier to regulate the platforms if regulators actually got down to business.”
The UK will ban children under 16 from using social media starting in 2027, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced, calling on tech companies to strengthen age verification and ensure compliance with the new rules.
According to the prime minister, the law will be passed in the coming months. He did not specify which platforms would be subject to the restrictions, stating that the authorities “will not compromise” on the safety of children online.
The government is also considering additional measures for older teenagers, including limits on service usage time and controls on access to certain features, such as AI-powered chatbots.
The initiative calls for the implementation of age verification technologies—ranging from biometric systems to document-based identification and algorithms for estimating a user’s age.
The decision was made following public consultations in which 116,000 people participated. According to the government, about 90% of adults and a significant portion of teenagers supported tightening the restrictions, said Culture Minister Lisa Nandi.
Authorities describe the initiative as part of a global trend toward stricter regulations for digital platforms. Among the countries that have already adopted or are implementing age restrictions for social media are Australia, Canada, Brazil, and Indonesia.
In Australia, starting in December 2025, access to social media will be prohibited for users under the age of 16. The restrictions apply to TikTok, X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Snapchat. Responsibility for violations lies with the platforms, which face fines of up to 49.5 million Australian dollars (about 30.2 million euros).
In other countries, including Spain, Denmark, and South Korea, similar measures are under discussion. In France, various options for regulating teenagers’ access to social media are being considered—ranging from partial restrictions to a complete ban.
Cambridge University professor John Crowcroft noted that implementing such restrictions could face technical challenges and the risk of users migrating to less regulated online services.
