U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced Monday that children under 16 will be banned from using social media, citing concerns that the platforms are making young people "unhappy."
Some children's charities welcomed the sweeping change, which is likely to trigger a major fight with U.S. tech giants, but others warned it could make teenagers less safe online.
Starmer, likely to face a leadership challenge in the coming weeks, said social media sites were exposing children to content that is "dangerous" and "designed to be addictive."
The ban will "include platforms like Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X" but not messaging services such as WhatsApp, the government said.
Starmer said the upcoming ban was influenced by the experience of Australia, which in December became the first nation to ban people under 16 from social media.
