The UK government has confirmed a social media ban for under-16s, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer declaring it will “give kids their childhood back” at Manchester press conference today.
The ban is set to take effect in spring 2027 and includes Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X with WhatsApp and Signal excluded.
Starmer hailed the move as “world-leading,” claiming 90% of parents support it. But Jack Coulson, Head of Advocacy for Big Brother Watch, isn’t convinced. “The British people have always, rightly, rejected mandatory ID schemes.
Now the government is imposing digital ID checkpoints for the internet. We will all face a ‘papers, please’ demand to get online”. He added that Australia, whose model Britain is mimicking, has already failed, their own eSafety Commissioner admits age bans don’t keep children off social media. Read more at Gov.uk, Reuters, BBC and Big Brother Watch.
Image credit: Alexander Shatov
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