UK Bans Under-16s From Using Social Media

InnovationCybersecurityUK Bans Under-16s From Using Social MediaByEmma Woollacott,Senior Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Emma Woollacott is a freelance journalist Follow AuthorJun 15, 2026, 06:22am EDTVAIL, CO - JUNE 9, 2017: Two teenage boys use their smartphones as they sit on a bench in Vail, Colorado. (Photo by Robert Alexander/Getty Images)Getty ImagesThe U.K. has, as widely expected, announced plans to ban social media for under-16s - but the controversy won't be going away any time soon.The decision follows a similar move by Australia, which requires platforms to make sure that under-16s aren't using their services, while Spain is planning a similar ban. France and Norway are looking to do the same for under-15s.On the same model as Australia, by this time next year, the U.K. ban will affect user-to-user platforms and algorithms, meaning it will apply to platforms such as Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X, but not messaging services like WhatsApp and Signal.Functions such as livestreaming will also be blocked, as will strangers communicating with under-16s, with the restrictions applying to a wider range of online services than in other countries, including on gaming sites.And ‘romantic companion’ chatbots – designed to simulate sexual relationships or roleplay with users – will have to enforce a minimum age of 18, as will similar intimate functionalities on AI chatbots more widely."This is a line in the sand. Tech giants had their chance and failed, but we’re stepping in to protect children, back parents and set a new normal for future generations," said prime minister Keir Starmer.MORE FOR YOUThe government said this was a "first step", and that further measures may be added in future.As to how all this will be put into practice, the government is keen to claim that it won't have similar problems to Australia, where children have routinely been able to by...