Britain will ban under-16s from social media apps, including TikTok and YouTube
12 hours ago
- #child protection
- #online safety
- #social media ban
- Britain will ban children under 16 from social media apps like TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, and X, starting early next year.
- The ban follows Australia's model, with potential multimillion-dollar fines for platforms failing to exclude under-16s, targeting tech companies rather than children.
- Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced additional measures to prevent stranger contact on gaming platforms and is considering overnight curfews and infinite scrolling breaks for under-18s.
- The decision resulted from over 116,000 public responses, with more than 90% supporting an under-16 ban, though it faced mixed reactions from charities, critics, and tech companies.
- The U.S. opposes the ban over free speech and burden concerns for American tech firms, while Starmer plans to discuss it at the G7 summit.