• Posted June 17, 2026

U.K. Moves To Ban Social Media For Children

The United Kingdom plans to bar kids under 16 from using social media, joining a growing list of countries trying to shield young people from apps built to be addictive.

At a news conference on Monday, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the U.K. would go further than other nations by also blocking potentially harmful functions, such as livestreaming and the ability to message strangers, and extending the rules to gaming sites.

The proposed law, similar to Australia’s ban, would bar children under 16 from platforms such as Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X. But messaging services like WhatsApp and Signal would remain accessible. 

People under 18 would also be barred from using artificial intelligence (AI) "romantic companions," though the government has not said how this would be enforced. Romantic companions are digital AI platforms that mimic romantic and sexual interactions with a human.

The plan puts the burden on tech companies to keep kids off their platforms, with steep fines for those that fail to comply. Starmer told reporters he hopes lawmakers will pass the rules by late December so the ban can take effect by spring 2027.

The proposal follows growing concern about how heavy social media use affects children's mental health and contributes to anxiety. 

Recently, 36% of U.S. teens said they use at least one of the top social media sites almost constantly, according to a 2025 Pew Research Center report. 

In March, a Los Angeles jury held Meta and YouTube liable for designing products that fueled harmful, addictive behavior in young users, a decision that could open the door to similar lawsuits in the United States, according to CBS News.

Other governments are watching closely. 

In December, Australia became the first country to ban children under 16 from social media. But kids appear to be getting around the age checks meant to keep them off certain platforms. About 70% of parents surveyed by Australia's internet regulator in March said their children were still on the platforms, having found ways around age checks.

Starmer said he was not discouraged.

"We don't say: 'Oh, look, a teenager managed to get a drink somehow, so let's not bother banning drinks from children,' " he said. "That would be utterly ridiculous!"

Tech companies are expected to push back. Twelve days ago, the U.S. Embassy in London warned that age verification would not work and urged other protections that preserve free speech, calling parents "the first and best line of defense," CBS News reported.

Starmer's government counters that British parents overwhelmingly support a ban for teens.

More than a dozen countries — among them France, Denmark, Malaysia and Ireland — were already weighing similar limits before the U.K. announcement. 

Some communities have gone further on their own.

In Greystones, Ireland, for example, parents and schools have pledged to keep smartphones away from children until middle school, after a survey of 800 residents found that 95% of teachers reported heightened anxiety in their classrooms.

More information

The American Academy of Pediatrics has more on social media and youth mental health.

SOURCES: CBS News, June 15, 2026; U.K. Department of Science, Innovation and Technology, June 15, 2026; Pew Research Center, report, Dec. 9, 2025