Britain will ban children under 16 from using social media apps including TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced Monday. The ban, expected to take effect early next year, aims to protect young people from harmful content and excessive screen time.
- The ban applies to platforms including Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and X, but not YouTube Kids or messaging services like WhatsApp and Signal. - The U.K.
follows Australia's model, which last year became the first country to bar under-16s from social media accounts. - Platforms that fail to exclude children under 16 could face multimillion-dollar fines.
- The announcement follows a public comment period with over 90% of 116,000 responses supporting the ban. The move is part of a growing global trend, with countries like Australia, Canada, Brazil, and Indonesia introducing similar restrictions.
Critics warn the ban could push children to less safe services and raise privacy concerns.