UK Announces Sweeping Social Media Ban for Under-16s

The UK has announced a total ban on social media for children under 16, following Australia's lead. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said platforms including Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube will be off-limits, while messaging apps like WhatsApp and Signal remain exempt.

The measures, which could take effect in early 2027, go further than any other country: they also block under-16s from talking to strangers in online games, ban livestreaming, and raise the minimum age for romantic chatbots to 18. Starmer called it "a line in the sand."