Britain says it will ban people under 16 from using a range of social media apps, including Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube, a decision intended to protect young people from harmful content and excessive screen time.
The U.K. joins a global movement to enforce age-based restrictions or requirements for access to social media. Some parents and child advocacy groups have welcomed them, but critics say they are ineffective and come with privacy concerns.
Here’s what some other countries are doing:
Australia
The ban there was described as a global first when it was introduced in December. It bars under-16s from holding accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Kick, Reddit, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X, YouTube and Twitch. Technology firms can be fined up to 49.5 million Australian dollars ($35 million) if they fail to take reasonable steps to remove the accounts. No fines have been handed out. The government says companies have shut down almost 5 million accounts identified as belonging to children.
