Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday, June 15, 2026, that the UK government will pursue legislation to restrict children under 16 from using major social media platforms, with ministers aiming to pass a bill by late December and bring the measures in during 2027.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the UK will move to prohibit under-16s from accessing major social media platforms, naming Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X among the services covered.
Messaging services such as WhatsApp and Signal would be excluded from the proposed ban, the government and multiple reports said. The plan would also leave out some categories of online services, such as educational tools and music-streaming platforms.
Starmer framed the policy as a child-safety measure and, in public remarks reported by multiple outlets, said social media was “making our children unhappy and unsafe” and that he could not “let that go on any more.”
Technology companies signaled concern about unintended consequences. A YouTube spokesperson warned that a blanket prohibition could push young people toward more anonymous or less supervised online services, according to reporting that cited the company’s response.
The government pointed to a national consultation that drew more than 116,000 submissions. Separate UK government material summarizing responses reported that 89% of certain parent and carer respondents supported a legal minimum age for social media access.
Political criticism also emerged. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage questioned whether a ban would work in practice and suggested children use handsets with limited features instead.
The UK proposal would follow similar measures introduced in Australia, where age-restriction requirements for under-16s took effect in December 2025. Other European governments, including France and Norway, have also been considering additional restrictions on young users’ social media access.
