London: The United Kingdom has announced plans to ban children under the age of 16 from accessing social media platforms, joining a growing number of countries taking steps to limit young people's exposure to online platforms.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the proposed measure aims to protect children from harmful online content and reduce the impact of excessive social media use on their wellbeing. The government is expected to introduce legislation requiring social media companies to prevent users under 16 from creating or maintaining accounts.
The proposal would apply to major platforms including Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, Facebook, X and YouTube. Companies could be required to implement stricter age-verification systems to ensure compliance.
The UK government's move follows similar action by Australia, which recently approved legislation banning social media access for children under 16. Several other countries, including Canada, France, Denmark, Spain and Greece, are also considering tighter regulations on children's use of social media platforms.
According to reports, the UK government is examining additional online safety measures, including restrictions on livestreaming features, interactions with unknown adults online and access to certain AI-powered chatbot services.
The announcement comes amid increasing global scrutiny of social media companies over concerns related to cyberbullying, harmful content, online grooming and the impact of prolonged screen time on children and teenagers.
Technology companies are expected to be consulted as the government finalises the details of the proposed legislation. Questions regarding implementation, age-verification methods and enforcement mechanisms are likely to be addressed during the legislative process.
If approved, the UK would become one of the largest countries to impose a nationwide social media restriction on users under the age of 16.
BI Bureau
