LONDON: Children under 16 will be banned from using social media in Britain, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on Monday, saying such platforms were making youngsters “unhappy”.

Some children’s charities welcomed the sweeping change, which is likely to trigger a major fight with US tech giants, but others warned it could make teenagers less safe online.

Starmer, likely to face a leadership challenge in the coming weeks, said social media sites were exposing children to content that is “dangerous” and “designed to be addictive”.

The ban will “include platforms like Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X”, but not messaging services such as WhatsApp, the government said.

Starmer said the upcoming ban was influenced by the experience of Australia, which became the first nation last year to ban children under 16 from social media.

He added during a press conference in Downing Street that he hoped to pass the regulation by late December and for the ban to come into force in spring next year.

The British PM suggested that YouTube Kids, Lego Play and Google Classroom would not be prohibited.

The government said in a statement it would also be considering overnight curfews and breaks in infinite scrolling for minors, and would announce more detail next month.

Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese welcomed the move in a post on X, saying: “Social media giants operate across borders. By standing together, we can do more to hold them accountable and keep children safe online.”

Canada and France are among other countries considering similar bans, while Indonesia began enforcing its ban for users under 16 in March.

Published in Dawn, June 16th, 2026