When will social media ban start, and which apps will be affected?

When will social media ban start, and which apps will be affected? 5 hours ago Share Save Add as preferred on Google Liv McMahon , Technology reporter and Duncan Walker Getty Images A social media ban for under-16s has been announced by the UK government. It will be introduced in early 2027. The government is also considering an overnight curfew and measures to stop infinite scrolling for under-18s. Keeping children off social media is the best way to keep them safe online, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said. Which social media platforms will be banned for under-16s? The ban will cover platforms including Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and X, the government said. YouTube will also be banned for under-16s, but YouTube Kids - a version of the video-sharing app designed to be safe for children - will not be included. A complete list of affected platforms has not been released, but the government said it would cover those "whose purpose is to enable social interaction and which allow users to post material". The government said it would "go further" than other countries. It means features including livestreaming and strangers being able to contact children will be restricted across a wider range of online services, including gaming sites. It means that although Roblox, the biggest gaming site in the UK for eight to 12-year-olds, will not be banned, certain features such as its chat function will be restricted. The government said it did not intend to include messaging services like WhatsApp and Signal in the social media ban. Most social media platforms already require children to be over 13 to create an account and use their services. What measures are planned for under-18s? The government said that for the "high risk" functions of livestreaming and chat with strangers, restrictions would be on by default for under-17s "to prevent a cliff-edge at 16". It said it was also looking into overnight curfews and breaks in infinite scrolling for under-18s, with more detail on this to be set out in July. AI "romantic companion" chatbots, which are designed to simulate sexual relationships or role play with users, will have to enforce a minimum age of 18. AI chatbots more widely will have to restrict "intimate functionalities" for under-18s, the government said. Five big questions about the UK's under-16s social media ban Social media ban - bold and blunt, but no silver bullet Under-16s will be banned from social media from early 2027 When will the social media ban be introduced? The prime minister said the government plans to pass regulations before Christmas. This would allow the ban to be introduced by spring 2027. The announcement follows a public consultation which received more than 116,000 responses. How will age verification work? The government said "highly effective age assurance" measures would be used to check the age of those using social media. This typically involves requiring companies to use tech that accurately estimates or verifies