From the Liveblog of
Monday, June 15, 2026
Starmer says Britain will ban under-16s from using a range of social media apps
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Britain will ban under-16s from using a range of social media apps, Prime Minister Keir Starmer says, calling it “a big moment for our country.”
Starmer says he will fight back if technology companies resist the move, intended to protect children from harmful content and excessive screen time. He says he is “not prepared to compromise on the safety and happiness of our children.”
The move makes the UK part of a growing global movement to tighten online safety for children. Australia, Canada, Brazil and Indonesia have introduced legislation or announced age-based restrictions or requirements for children’s access to social media. France, Spain, Denmark, Thailand and South Korea are among others studying or developing similar approaches.
“How we keep kids safe online is one of the biggest debates of our time,” Starmer says in a statement released before the announcement. “This is a choice about whose side we’re on: families across the country, or a status quo that isn’t working.”
The under-16 ban would apply to TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X, YouTube, Snapchat, Threads, Twitch, Kick and Reddit, the Sunday Times reports.
The decision follows a public comment period in which the government got 116,000 responses from parents, the tech industry and children. The number of responses was second only to one seeking input about marriage equality in 2012.
The Times of Israel Community.