UK bans children younger than 16 from using social media apps including TikTok and YouTube

By — Sylvia Hui, Associated Press Sylvia Hui, Associated Press By — Brian Melley, Associated Press Brian Melley, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/uk-bans-children-younger-than-16-from-using-social-media-apps-including-tiktok-and-youtube Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter UK bans children younger than 16 from using social media apps including TikTok and YouTube World Jun 15, 2026 12:02 PM EDT LONDON (AP) — Britain will ban children aged under 16 from using a range of social media apps, including Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube, to protect them from harmful content and excessive screen time, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Monday. The ban, which is expected to take effect early next year, makes the U.K. part of a growing global movement to tighten online safety for children. Australia, Canada, Brazil and Indonesia have introduced legislation or announced age-based restrictions or requirements for children's access to social media. France, Spain, Denmark, Thailand and South Korea are among others studying or developing similar approaches. READ MORE: Supreme Court rejects Meta's appeal in Vermont social media addiction case "Every parent can see it with their own eyes. Social media is making children unhappy," said Starmer, who has two teenage children. "I've heard first hand from families crying out for change and we will do right by them." The plan was met with mixed reaction, with some praising Starmer for taking action and others questioning the effectiveness of a blanket ban. YouTube and Meta — the parent company of Facebook and Instagram — warned Monday that a blanket social media restriction could push kids into unregulated spaces. "Blanket bans push kids out of such curated, supervised, beneficial experiences and towards anonymous, less-safe services," a YouTube spokesperson said. Meta said a ban could drive teens to online alternatives without any parental controls. Starmer acknowledged the challenges and said some teens would try to find their way around a ban, but said: "I do believe we can enforce it." He added: "Teenagers drink before they should, but we do not then say, 'in which case let us abandon any attempt to stop them buying alcohol.'" The prime minister — who is under pressure to step down from members of his own party over what they see as poor leadership and could face a challenge from within his Labour Party in the coming days or weeks — said he is "not prepared to compromise on the safety and happiness of our children." Starmer says the UK will go further than Australia The U.K. plans to follow the same model for a social media ban as Australia, which last year became the first country to bar under-16s from holding social media accounts. Platforms that fail to take reasonable steps to exclude children younger than 16 could be punished with multimillion-dollar fines. The U.K. said its ban will apply to platforms including Snapc