LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to announce a social media ban for young teenagers Monday, designed to protect children from harmful content and excessive screen time.Britain would join a growing global movement to tighten online safety for children. Australia, Canada, Brazil and Indonesia have introduced legislation or announced age-based restrictions or requirements for children’s access to social media. France, Spain, Denmark, Thailand and South Korea are among others studying or developing similar approaches.“How we keep kids safe online is one of the biggest debates of our time,” Starmer said in a statement released Sunday. “This is a choice about whose side we’re on: families across the country, or a status quo that isn’t working.”Starmer, who is under pressure to step down from members of his own party over what they see as poor leadership, said he would be announcing a “world-leading” action to protect children. He suggested it be more prohibitive than the Australian-style ban on social media for children under 16.
The Sunday Times reported that the U.K. would also restrict chatbots, features on some gaming apps and place a curfew aimed at preventing older teens from late-night scrolling.
