Starmer to announce ‘Australia plus’ ban on social media for under-16s

Teenagers in the UK will soon face new restrictions on their use of apps such as X, TikTok and Instagram. Photograph: Klaus Vedfelt/Getty Images View image in fullscreen Teenagers in the UK will soon face new restrictions on their use of apps such as X, TikTok and Instagram. Photograph: Klaus Vedfelt/Getty Images Starmer to announce ‘Australia plus’ ban on social media for under-16s Sources say hardline measures will also prevent young users from being to talk to strangers on gaming apps Keir Starmer will ban under-16s from major social media apps such as TikTok, Instagram and X in sweeping restrictions described as “Australia plus”, the Guardian understands. Teenagers will be banned from all the main social platforms and online products that are not covered by the ban – such as gaming apps – will face new restrictions such as having the option to chat to strangers removed. There will also be restrictions for older teenagers up to the age of 18 that prevent “scrolling” late at night – after 8.30pm. Government sources said protecting teenagers from harmful addictive content, such as infinite scrolling, as well as contact with strangers were the key drivers of the hardline measures. Under-18s will also be banned from accessing romantic or sexual AI chatbots. “There are no half measures here,” a government source said. Nearly half of UK girls saw harmful social media content in a week, research shows Read more The government may need to legislate to enforce the ban and to give itself flexibility to adapt to new technology, though the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act does give ministers some powers already. In Australia, which is already enforcing a ban, under-16s are restricted from 10 major platforms – TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Reddit, Facebook, X, Threads, Snapchat, Twitch and Kick. UK government sources indicated that the bans on major platforms would apply to a similar range of apps. On Sunday, the government said that nine out of 10 parents backed a minimum age of 16 for accessing the apps in responses supplied to its “growing up in the online world” consultation. Nearly 9 in 10 (88%) said fewer children would be exposed to inappropriate or harmful content. Almost two-thirds of young people who responded said restricting the high-risk features would make them safer online. View image in fullscreen Campaigners have been asking the prime minister to enforce some manner of social media ban. Photograph: David Parry/PA On Sunday, the culture secretary, Lisa Nandy , said restrictions on social media would not be “the silver bullet solution” but they would better protect young people. “I don’t want to get ahead of the prime minister’s announcement. But when we launched the consultation, it was a question of how we better protect young people online, not if we do so. “And one of the things that a social media ban does and has been shown to do in Australia is that – although it doesn’t stop all young people going online and on to social media apps