What You Need To Know About Keir Starmer’s Under-16 Social Media Ban

Keir Starmer has unveiled a dramatic new policy to ban under-16s from using social media.

The prime minister said this was the “right choice” as certain platforms do not create a “happy” and safe environment for children.

The decision comes after years of campaigners calling for greater protections for children online amid fears the platforms are too addictive, expose youths to harmful and illegal content and make it easier for bullies to access children

Australia also introduced a comparable ban in December.

But the prime minister admitted that this will “not be easy” as some social media giants want people to think things are “unchangeable”.

“We have to resist that kind of learned helplessness,” he insisted, saying the government “can” and “will” change things, adding: “This is not something I do lightly.”

Here’s everything you need to know about what the prime minister described as a “big moment for the country”.

Starmer said the government intends to move quickly and hopes to “pass regulation before Christmas”.

That would mean the ban may come in around springtime 2027.

He said this Labour government would not be as slow as the Conservative government was with the Online Safety Act, which took eight years to implement.

That legislation made social media platforms responsible for keeping children safe from harmful and illegal content online.

MPs voted against a social media ban for under-16s in the UK back in March.

But Starmer said on Monday that he is “absolutely clear” that a ban is the right idea after a consultation process with parents whose children have been impacted.

The consultation, with more than 116,000 responses, concluded in May and found 85% of parents think the dangers of social media outweigh the benefits.

The PM said he’s not going to pretend there are no benefits to social media but after looking through the evidence, now is the right time.

Starmer insisted this was not a legacy announcement, even though he is widely expected to face a direct challenge to his leadership from Andy Burnham in the coming weeks – if the Greater Manchester mayor wins the Makerfield by-election on Thursday and gets a seat in parliament.

But the PM pointed out that campaigners have been pushing for this ban for years so it was not a new idea.

TikTok, Snapchat, X, Facebook and Instagram will be included but messaging services like WhatsApp and Signal will not be part of the ban.

The UK will also go further “than a blanket ban on social media”, according to the government’s explanation of the policy.

It intends to block “harmful functions such as livestreaming and stranger communication with children for under-16s”.

“These restrictions – which together with the ban go further than any other country – will apply to a wider range of online services, including on gaming sites,” the government readout says.

“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 government will also be looking in more detail at overnight curfews and breaks in infinite scrolling for under-18-year-olds and will set out more detail in July.”

Starmer dismissed concerns about how tech giants will react.

“Talking to big tech companies, they know very well they have a responsibility to protect children,” he said. “This is about fighting for what we think is right.”

The PM added that while he is “a fan of tech and AI”, he believes it is possible to protect children and support tech innovation, adding looking after the younger generation is “a red line for me.”

The White House has previously warned against social media bans, saying last week: “Most content should remain accessible by default, including political speech.

“We believe an open internet is essential to the preservation of free speech and most content should be accessible by default unless the provider knows or has reason to know the user is a child.”

But Starmer told reporters: “I honestly think that across world leaders there has always been a recognition that leaders have to take steps to protect children, I don’t think that’s controversial.

“There will always be arguments as to what the limits of that are, and what rules should be in place, but I don’t see that as a problem.”

He said the ban was not about free speech, but about basic protection of children, pointing to the way adults can talk directly to children via social media apps.

He added that he would discuss the policy with his counterparts at the G7.

Smartphone Free Childhood Co-founder Joe Ryrie celebrated the news, saying it felt like a “turning point” after fighting a “losing battle” against tech firms.

“This social media ban won’t solve every problem overnight, but it is a major step forward because millions of children will now get a few more years to grow up before entering online environments that were never designed with their wellbeing in mind,” he said.

However, the father of a teenager who took her own life after viewing harmful content online accused the PM of “gambling with young people’s lives”.

Ian Russell accused the prime minister of “playing politics” by rushing the announcement amid speculation about his future.

His daughter Molly took her own life aged 14 after viewing harmful content online.

Andy Burrows, chief executive of the Molly Rose Foundation, also warned against such a ban last week.

He told BBC Breakfast: “In Australia this is not working, it’s not something that is enforceable.”

“This looks like policy making being done on the back of a fag packet and frankly that is incredibly high risk when we are talking about children’s safety. We should be following the evidence.”

He said the focus should be on banning features like autoplay, infinite scroll and algorithms which “bombard” children with harmful material.Subscribe to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster.