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Numerous social media apps will be banned for under-16s in the UK after Prime Minister Keir Starmer introduced landmark legislation and a promise to deliver “world leading action.”
The likes of X, Facebook, YouTube and TikTok will become unavailable to teenagers in the nation, following the lead of Australia, which introduced a full ban late last year.
“Children will be given back their childhoods,” the government said this morning as it unveiled more detail and stated an aim to “capture user-to-user platforms, whose purpose is to enable social interaction and which allow users to post material, alongside algorithms.”
Announcing the ban in the past few minutes, Starmer said the UK is taking “world leading action” on social media, and that the legislation will go further than Australia’s including a block on livestreaming and stranger communication with children for under-16s, curfews for older teenagers and restrictions on AI chatbots.
So-called AI ‘romantic companion’ chatbots – designed to simulate sexual relationships or roleplay with users – will have to enforce a minimum age of 18 and the government will also be looking in more detail at overnight curfews and breaks in infinite scrolling for under-18s, with more detail coming in July.
The restrictions on these functionalities will also be on by default for under 16- and 17-year-olds to prevent a cliff-edge at 16. The ban doesn’t include messaging apps like WhatsApp and Signal.
The government said it will “learn the lessons” from Australia’s experience by introducing more highly effective age assurance measures to support compliance, making it far harder for children to bypass safeguards.
Ofcom, which has powers to enforce online safety regulation, will conduct a rapid study on what is effective age assurance for verifying whether someone is over 16, while it is being asked to publish a “clear enforcement strategy.”
During a press conference this morning, Starmer said: “I want this message to be heard loud and clear. I am not prepared to compromise on the safety and happiness of our children, and that is why this ban must happen, and why this ban will happen.”
A govenment survey found 90% of adults and a majority of kids in favor of a full ban, according to Starmer this morning.
He told BBC News the regulation will be passed later this year and come into force in early 2027.
The Australian social media ban has been controversial, with American tech giants unsurprisingly reacting with alarm. As these giants get closer and closer to Donald Trump in the States, Starmer, who has consistently attempted to keep relations with the U.S. on a solid footing, may find himself falling foul of the U.S. President, although the POTUS is at present distracted with Iran.
Starmer’s ban also comes in as his Labour government wavers, with a number set to challenge him for the leadership.
Deadline has reached out to X, YouTube and Facebook spokespeople for comment on the ban.
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