The UK government has announced plans to ban children under the age of 16 from accessing major social media platforms in what Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has described as a landmark effort to “give kids their childhood back.” The proposal forms part of a wider package of online safety measures aimed at protecting young people from harmful content, cyberbullying, and excessive screen time.

Under the planned legislation, popular social media services including TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, YouTube, and X would be required to prevent users under 16 from creating or maintaining accounts. Messaging services such as WhatsApp and Signal are expected to remain exempt from the restrictions.

The government says the move follows an extensive national consultation on children’s digital wellbeing that received more than 116,000 responses. According to ministers, around nine in ten parents support introducing a minimum age of 16 for social media access.

Alongside the social media ban, the government is considering additional safeguards, including restrictions on addictive platform features such as infinite scrolling and autoplay, tighter controls on interactions with strangers through gaming and livestreaming services, and stronger age-verification requirements.

Sir Keir Starmer said the current online environment is failing to adequately protect children and that technology companies have not done enough to address the risks facing young users. The government argues that the new rules will help improve children’s mental wellbeing and reduce exposure to harmful online experiences.

However, the proposal has sparked debate among experts and online safety campaigners. While many support stronger protections for children, some critics argue that blanket bans may be difficult to enforce and could encourage young people to find ways around age restrictions rather than addressing the root causes of online harm.

The legislation is expected to be introduced later this year, with enforcement likely to begin in 2027 following the development of age-verification systems and regulatory guidance. If implemented, the UK would join a growing number of countries introducing stricter age-based controls on social media access for children.