Under-16s to be banned from social media by next spring, Starmer says - BBC News

Summary

Keir Starmer says under-16s will be banned from social media by spring 2027 - key points from the announcement
Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X are among the platforms affected - but not WhatsApp or Signal, the government says
At a school in Wythenshawe, Manchester, Year 8 and 9 pupils have their say: Sean, 13, calls social media "a bad place" while Isaac, also 13, says he's "disappointed" ministers opted for a ban instead of trying to make platforms "safer"
Meanwhile, Louise Gibson, the mother of 11-year-old Noah who is alleged to have died after attempting an online challenge, says "this is right for children and it's right for parents" - here's what other bereaved families had to say
BBC experts answer your questions: Our political correspondent says the plans aren't about "criminalising" children or parents, while our technology reporter says overnight curfews are also being looked at

Live Reporting

Edited by Charlotte Hadfield and Andrew Humphrey

Starmer expected to ban under-16s from major social media platformspublished at 06:19 BST 15 June

Image source, Reuters
Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to ban under-16s from major social media platforms including TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram.
Children will also stop being able to livestream on "safer" sites and stop being able to talk to strangers on gaming apps, the prime minister is set to announce.
Ministers are considering whether to impose social media curfews for children, but further details will not be unveiled until next month.
Australia introduced the world's first outright ban on social media for under-16s in December 2025 and Whitehall sources are describing the UK's scheme, to be unveiled by Starmer on Monday morning, as "Australia-plus".
"This is a choice about whose side we're on: families across the country, or a status quo that isn't working," he has said.
He added he would "call time on a system that's failing our kids".
He'll be speaking at around 08:00 BST, you can watch live right here on this page and we'll bring you the latest developments.