THE UK Government will ban social media for everyone under the age of 16, Keir Starmer has said.
The ban will come in in early 2027 and will also include action on gaming and live-streaming platforms so strangers will not be able to contact children, Starmer told a press conference on Monday morning.
The Prime Minister said: "This is a big step, real change for our children and our future, because today I can announce that the government will ban access to social media for all children under the age of 16.”
Starmer went on: “This is not something I do lightly, and I will not present it as cost free, as if social media has brought no benefits to young people, because clearly that is wrong.
“But government is always about choices and it's clear to me that a full ban is the right choice.
“Now I come to it as a parent myself. I know exactly the fears that we all feel when we're thinking about this issue. All I've ever wanted for my own children, hand on heart, is for them to be happy and for them to be safe.
“I think that's what any parent wants. But I ask the question now, do we truly believe that social media creates a happy environment for our children? Do we truly believe that it's a place where they can feel safe?
“I don't think I even need to answer those questions, do I? Every parent can see it with their own eyes. Social media is making children unhappy. It's making it easier for bullies to harass and abuse them. And it could even be harming their mental health, exposing them to content that is dangerous, because that's what grabs the attention.”
We are banning social media access for under 16s. These days kids must find their feet in a world where technology intrudes into every area of their life. I just can’t let that go on anymore. So we’re giving children their childhoods back. pic.twitter.com/jn7iQrcwk8
— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) June 15, 2026
Starmer said that a ban would not be easy, suggesting that social media companies would oppose it, but said that it “must” and “will” happen.
He said the UK would take “world-leading action” on streaming and gaming services to prevent children being paired with adults they do not know.
However, he conceded that some teenagers would be able to get around the law, as they do with alcohol, but said that should not stop the law being put in place.
The UK is following Australia’s example in raising the minimum age to 16 for sites including TikTok, Instagram, Threads, Facebook, X, YouTube, Snapchat, and Reddit.
But the UK ban will go further than Australia’s and will also include romantic or sexual AI chatbots.
The public consultation on the issue, which closed on May 26, received about 116,000 responses, making it the second-largest in history.
Over 83% of parents who responded said social media risks outweigh the benefits for children – with 91% backing a minimum age of 16 before platforms can offer their services to children.
Almost two thirds (62%) of children who responded said restricting the high-risk features would make them safer online.
But 72% also said they were worried about feeling left out if restrictions came in.
Starmer had opposed a ban initially, but told the press conference on Monday that he had changed his mind after listening to parents.
The move risks prompting a backlash from Donald Trump’s pro-tech US administration, which warned against a blanket ban for under-16s.
In a response to the consultation, the US embassy in London said the country preferred “narrowly targeted requirements”, that “most content should be accessible by default”, and that age verification requirements could “impose disproportionate compliance burdens on American companies”.
The Prime Minister’s announcement comes at a difficult time for his premiership, which has been under pressure since Labour’s drubbing in May’s local and devolved elections.
His authority was dealt a further blow last week by the resignations of the defence secretary and the armed forces minister over military funding, and he could face a leadership challenge if Andy Burnham succeeds in his bid to return to Westminster in the Makerfield by-election, which will be held on Thursday.
Tory shadow education secretary Laura Trott said: “It’s shameful that it’s taken the Prime Minister’s job to be on the line for the Government to finally U-turn and ban social media for under 16s.
“Three times Labour voted against a ban, failing to stand up to Big Tech and protect children from the extreme content they are exposed to every day."
The Molly Rose Foundation, set up in memory of 14-year-old Molly Russell, who took her own life in 2017 after viewing harmful content online, said a social media ban “will fail to tackle fundamental product safety risks issues and leaves parents with a false sense of safety”.
Chief executive Andy Burrows said: “A majority of children will continue to use high-risk sites that will have no incentive to implement robust protections.
“This is not what online safety experts believe will work and is necessary. Keir Starmer has chosen to abdicate responsibility for tackling harmful algorithms and his legacy will be setting back children’s safety by years.”
