{"id":87616,"date":"2026-06-16T09:08:17","date_gmt":"2026-06-16T15:08:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.opinionpublica.tv\/portada\/?p=87616"},"modified":"2026-06-16T09:08:19","modified_gmt":"2026-06-16T15:08:19","slug":"britain-announces-social-media-ban-for-children","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.opinionpublica.tv\/portada\/britain-announces-social-media-ban-for-children\/","title":{"rendered":"Britain announces social media ban for children"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Britain<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The British government plans to ban access to social media for all children under 16, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday, after weeks in which the nation debated how it would introduce new protections for children online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr. Starmer said the government would introduce the new regulations in Parliament before Christmas and bring a ban into force in the early part of 2027. The measures will also include restrictions on game platforms and livestreaming apps, with more details expected to be announced next month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am not prepared to compromise on the safety and happiness of our children, and that is why this ban must happen,\u201d Mr. Starmer said at a news conference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The government has faced growing pressure to act on the issue as public opinion has coalesced around the idea that more should be done to keep children safe online. One YouGov poll in December found that 74 percent of Britons surveyed supported a ban on social media for children under 16.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr. Starmer acknowledged that the ban might not be perfect and would not be cost-free, but he added, \u201cGovernment is always about choices, and it\u2019s clear to me that a full ban is the right choice.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In March, the government invited public input on the issue, drawing more than 116,000 responses from parents, young people, industry groups and experts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The government said that 90 percent of parents who responded backed a minimum age of 16 for access to social media and that 85 percent said the risks of social media outweighed the benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The measures will follow a similar model to that of Australia, where a ban was introduced in December, and will apply to platforms like Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X, the government said. Messaging apps like WhatsApp and Signal will not be included in the restrictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The government said it also planned to block children under 16 from livestreaming and from communicating with strangers on a wider range of online services, including game sites. The government said it would also be \u201clooking in more detail at overnight curfews and breaks in infinite scrolling\u201d for people under 18.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not all parents favor a ban, and some experts have pointed out that most young people with social media accounts in Australia have continued to use the platforms. Others have criticized the announcement as rushed, coming as Mr. Starmer faces threats to his leadership from within his Labour Party after steep losses in local elections in May.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ian Russell, a longtime campaigner for online safety, criticized Mr. Starmer for introducing what he called a \u201cpolitically expedient blanket ban\u201d rather than forcing social media platforms to remove harmful content. Mr. Russell\u2019s daughter Molly Russell was 14 when she took her own life in 2017 after viewing content relating to suicide and self-harm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But for many parents in Britain, the measures were a welcome step in addressing their concerns about the harmful effects of online content on their children, as well as fears that childhood has been fundamentally changed by unrestricted access to those platforms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Justine Roberts, the founder of Mumsnet, an online forum for parents, said in a statement that the announcement was \u201ca huge moment for children\u2019s online safety, and for every parent who has felt powerless in the face of addictive technology designed to keep children scrolling.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Smartphone Free Childhood, a British charity, called the social media ban a \u201chugely significant moment for children and families across the U.K.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor years, parents have been fighting a losing battle against some of the most powerful companies in the world as smartphones and social media have become an ever bigger part of childhood,\u201d said Joe Ryrie, one of the charity\u2019s founders, in a statement. \u201cToday feels like a turning point.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is little data available to understand the consequences of Australia\u2019s ban, academics have stressed, but six months in, early indications are that it has largely failed at keeping young teenagers off the platforms. But some Australian parents say the real impact of the law may not be felt for years, when younger children who are not yet on social media may stay off because of the regulations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Experts in online safety have warned that Britain\u2019s ban could be ineffective in halting potential harms while also failing to take into account some of the positive impacts of social media on young people. Many acknowledge that it could still have a longer-term deterrent effect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The tech industry is unlikely to respond positively. The Computer and Communications Industry Association, an international industry group, said in a statement that a ban would prevent teenagers from using platforms that offered benefits as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBlanket restrictions will stifle access to age-appropriate experiences with proper parental controls, encouraging children to seek out riskier unregulated alternatives,\u201d Matthew Sinclair, a senior director of the group in Britain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr. Starmer acknowledged that the new regulations would not mean that no child ever logged on to social media again, but he said that the potential circumvention of the law was no reason not to introduce restrictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey get around other laws, too, but we don\u2019t say, \u2018Oh, look, a teenager managed to get a drink somehow, so let\u2019s not bother banning alcohol sales to children,\u2019\u201d he said. \u201cWe don\u2019t do that, that would be utterly ridiculous, and so I just don\u2019t accept that argument.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n