A coordinated push is unfolding across multiple countries moving to ban under-16s from social media.
The speed and alignment of the shift have critics watching the enforcement mechanism.
In the UK, Prime Minister Keir Starmer issued an ultimatum at London Tech Week on 8 June: build device-level controls to stop children taking, sharing or viewing nude images, enable them by default on every phone and tablet, or face legislation. “Because tech should adapt to the needs of society, not the other way around,” said Starmer, setting a September deadline. He framed opposition as a threat to child safety, declaring: “This government will not stand by while children are put at risk online”.
The stated aim is to stop children accessing pornography and sharing nude images, a goal few would argue with. The problem is the method: the demand requires software that inspects every photo on a device, which is effectively spyware at an operating system level. The EU rejected the same approach, known as “client-side scanning,” in March. Germany refused it on constitutional grounds. Even Apple, which proposed a similar system in 2021, abandoned it after backlash.
Starmer is also expected to announce broader social media restrictions for under-16s in the coming days, though whether this matches Australia’s blanket ban or takes a more limited approach remains unclear. Director of Big Brother Watch, Silkie Carlo, told GB News the plan is “effectively I.D cards for the internet”.
Australia’s ban is already failing: 61% of banned teens still hold accounts, and 70% say getting around restrictions is easy. Canada tables its version today, requiring platforms to verify ages through government-approved methods. Once legally required to know who is under 16, they must build systems capable of checking everyone.
Malaysia’s ban took effect last week, meaning any platform with more than 8 million users must now verify users are over 16 through government-backed eKYC identity checks, or face being blocked entirely. In Japan they are not banning anyone yet, however a proposal to link social media accounts directly to mobile phone records so platforms know exactly who you are is being looked at.
What remains largely unanswered by policymakers is how platforms can reliably determine who is under 16 without first establishing the identity or age of every user. The technology required to exclude minors is, by its nature, technology capable of identifying adults as well.
The hard truth is: the infrastructure being built, masquerading as child protection, is the same infrastructure that enables digital ID for everyone. Read more at ITV, Reuters, Reclaim the Net, Global News, HornbillTV, GB News on X and Watch Keir Starmer at London Tech Week.
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