Britain is expected to set out restrictions on how children under 16 use social media, in a package that could ban access to the main platforms and curb features judged too addictive for young users, according to reporting on the government’s plans.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer is said to have decided to go further after speaking to parents and weighing the evidence from Australia, which introduced its own under-16s ban last year.
The plan, as described by the Guardian, would bar all under-16s from the main social media platforms. Products not classed as social media, gaming apps among them, would face their own restrictions rather than a ban, including measures to stop children being contacted by strangers.
Reporting has also pointed to evening curfews and limits on AI chatbots as part of what officials have framed as an “Australia-plus” approach.
The 💜 of EU techThe latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol' founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It's free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now!The legislative hook already exists. Part 3 of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 requires the government to impose some form of age or functionality restriction for under-16s, which means the question facing ministers is the shape of the rules rather than whether to make them. A public consultation is part of the process, putting the specifics to parents before the detail is fixed.
