Under-16s to be banned from TikTok, YouTube and other social media by next spring, Starmer says
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced plans to ban children under 16 from accessing major social media platforms by spring 2027. The regulation aims to improve online safety, though tech companies have warned that such bans may push children toward less secure digital environments.
Why it matters
This represents a major shift in digital regulation, setting a precedent for how governments may restrict youth access to global social media platforms.
Share Save Add as preferred on Google Imran Rahman-Jones , Liv McMahon and Graham Fraser , technology reporters Positive or unnecessary ? - UK teens on social media ban Millions of children in the UK will be forced off social media after the government announced it would ban under-16s from accessing a range of platforms.
The article balances the government's stated safety goals with the concerns raised by technology companies.
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