United Kingdom bans social networks for children under 16

The government of the United Kingdom is introducing a ban on social networks for children under 16.

British Prime Minister reported this.

The restrictions will apply to TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, X and Snapchat.

More about the restrictions

According to the British prime minister, a full ban is the right choice that will make children happier and give them back their childhood.

«It will make a huge difference, it will make our children safer, it will make our children happier, it will give them more time, more safety, more freedom to grow up and more opportunities», — said the British prime minister.

At the same time, the ban will not apply to messengers, including WhatsApp and Signal.

According to Reuters, in addition to blocking access to the platforms themselves, the United Kingdom will introduce restrictions on specific harmful features for users under 16, including live streaming and the ability to communicate with strangers.

The UK is also considering introducing a nightly «curfew» for social media use for under-18s. 

What Brits say

Before announcing the decision, the UK government held consultations with teachers, parents and young people about possible restrictions, app curfews, time limits and measures to counter addictive features. 

Reuters writes that more than 83% of parents who took part in the survey believe the risks of social networks outweigh their benefits.

A further 90% of surveyed parents supported setting the minimum age for access to social networks at 16.

Which countries are considering banning social networks for children under 16

On December 10, 2025 Australia became the first country in the world to introduce a ban on access to social networks for children under 16.

The law, which has been called a «global social experiment», came into force, and millions of accounts faced the risk of being blocked.

Teenagers under 16 are now prohibited from having accounts on:

• TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, X (Twitter), Reddit.
• YouTube is also subject to the restriction (the main platform), although access to YouTube Kids remains open.

Similar initiatives have previously been studied by the governments of Denmark, Greece, France, Spain, Switzerland and Poland.

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