Photo by Daria Nepriakhina 🇺🇦 on Unsplash

UK to Ban Social Media for Under-16s

technologyJun 18, 2026·341 words·3 min read

On Monday, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that Britain will prohibit children under 16 from using major social media platforms, including TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X. The restrictions, expected to take effect in early 2027, would impose multimillion-pound fines on companies that fail to keep minors off their services, though enforcement would target the platforms rather than the children themselves. Messaging apps such as WhatsApp and Signal, along with YouTube Kids, would be exempt.

Starmer once said no to this idea. But he changed his mind after a public study. About 116,000 people gave their views, and more than 90% wanted a ban. "Social media is making children unhappy," he said, pointing to mental health harm and bullying. Britain follows Australia, the first country to stop under-16s from having accounts. Tech companies pushed back. YouTube said the ban could push children to less-safe apps. Elon Musk, who owns X, called it censorship.

Many questions remain. How will the rules work? The government wants strong age checks, using face scans, photos or digital identity. But the regulator Ofcom says checking age 16 is hard. It will share a full plan in the autumn. Some teenagers may use a VPN (virtual private network) to hide where they are. Starmer said he will discuss the plan with US President Donald Trump and other leaders at the G7 (Group of Seven) summit in France.

Read at other levels

A1Beginner94w A2Elementary147w B1Intermediate218w B2Upper-Intermediate281wPro

C1Advanced341w(current · Pro)