This week, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a social media ban for under 16s, set to take effect in early 2027.
In December 2025, Australia was the first country in the world to introduce a minimum age of 16.
While Opposition Leader Kemi Badenoch is supportive of the move, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage believes it will be ineffective.
The Government wants to pass regulation “before Christmas” to set up the ban.
Background
In December 2025, Australia’s world-first social media ban for under 16s came into effect, touted as a “world-first”.
Multiple countries, including Spain and Canada, have since announced similar plans.
The UK Government consulted on a ban for under-16s from March to May this year.
Feedback “showed overwhelming public demand for action,” the Government said.
UK
Starmer announced the social media ban for under 16s this week.
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In a fact sheet, the Government says it “plan[s] to use the same model for a social media ban as Australia,” which includes X, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube.
On top of these restrictions, the policy also includes live streaming and “stranger communication” (e.g. in gaming) banned for under 18s.
Opposition
Opposition Leader Kemi Badenoch said she supports the change, calling it “fantastic news” in a BBC interview.
Badenoch added that some parts of the plan are “messy”, and the Conservatives will work with the Government on the policy.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said: “Whilst the social media ban is well-intentioned, it’s unlikely to work given the mass adoption of VPNs.”
Australia
On 27 May, six months on from Australia’s ban, eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant provided the Senate with an update on its progress.
Inman Grant said that by March, accounts held by under-16s reduced by 37%. She raised examples of tech compliance, including one platform reversing “jail break” opportunities for facial age estimation.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also responded to Starmer’s video, saying: “Congratulations on taking this important step”.
