British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he would ban social media sites for under-16s and impose restrictions on gaming and live-streaming platforms, in some of the most far-reaching global online restrictions to date.
Starmer said on Monday he would introduce sweeping changes to social media regulation to better protect the wellbeing of children when they are online.
“It is clear to me that a total ban is the right option,” he said, adding that while it would not be easy, the government had the capacity to fight the power of big technology companies.
Britain has increasingly hardened its attitude toward tech companies in recent years, urging or forcing them to impose age verification, adapt their algorithms and, most recently, prevent children from circulating nude images taken on mobile phones.
But with growing awareness of the mental health risks posed by children spending too much time online, Starmer decided to go further after speaking to parents and considering evidence from Australia, which imposed a ban on under-16s last year.
Starmer, who is likely to face a leadership challenge in the coming weeks, said people were rightly expecting action.
Australia leads the way
Australia was the first country to ban social media for children under 16, blocking them in December on platforms including TikTok, Alphabet’s YouTube and Meta’s Instagram and Facebook.
Since then, a number of countries have said they are looking to regulate access to social media amid growing concerns about the impact on children’s health and safety.
Britain has consulted teachers, parents and young people about new restrictions, including a possible ban on under-16s, as well as curfews, time limits on apps and restrictions on what the government has described as addictive design features.
It received more than 116,000 responses from parents, industry and young people. More than 83% of parents who responded said the risks of social media outweighed the benefits, while 90% supported a minimum age of 16 to access social media platforms.
While many parents and politicians support the ban, some psychologists and researchers have said there is no evidence it works, and a group of London schoolchildren told Reuters they had a troubled relationship with the technology.
