Social media to be banned for under-16s in landmark government move

Following on from our recent article on children’s online data: regulatory change and enforcement risk in 2026, the government has announced that social media platforms are to be blocked from offering services to under-16s, marking “a line in the sand” and setting a “new normal” for future generations. In its press release the government stated that it would use the same model for a social media ban as Australia, capturing user-to-user platforms, whose purpose is to enable social interaction, and which allow users to post material, alongside algorithms. The implications for UK businesses operating such platforms are not yet fully known, however it seems certain that some form of age verification assurance will need to be considered and built into platform design and failure to do so may result in regulatory enforcement and significant financial penalty.

The statement 

The ban is set to include platforms such as Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X; messaging services such as WhatsApp are not in scope. In a move to protect children online and address the scale of the challenge, the government will also go further than a blanket ban on social media with world-leading blocks on harmful functions such as livestreaming and stranger communication with children for under-16s. A complete list of which platforms the ban will apply to has not been released; however, the government said it would cover those "whose purpose is to enable social interaction and which allow users to post material". The restrictions will apply to a wider range of online services than any other country, including on gaming sites. Restrictions on these functionalities will also be on by default for under 16 and 17 year-olds to prevent a ‘cliff-edge’ at 16.

The government also says that it will be looking in more detail at overnight curfews and breaks in infinite scrolling for under-18-year-olds and will set out more detail in July. The statement confirms that Ofcom will conduct a rapid study on what is effective age assurance for verifying whether someone is over 16. The Secretary of State has also written to the new Chair of Ofcom to ask for an urgent review of Ofcom’s enforcement capabilities with a clear enforcement strategy to be published as soon as possible.

Opposing reactions

As was to be expected, larger platforms have expressed disappointment at the ban announcement. YouTube stated that it could push children towards unsafe platforms; a common point made by ban opponents. A spokesperson said: “YouTube is a vital resource for young people, educators and parents. Blanket bans push kids out of such curated, supervised, beneficial experiences and towards anonymous, less safe services.”

Following consultations, the government said nine out of 10 parents who responded supported a ban. It added that two-thirds of young people agreed that children younger than 16 should be blocked from using at least some social media platforms.

Implications

The government expects the ban, which follows a consultation that received more than 116,000 responses, to come into force by spring next year. It will publish the full response to the consultation next month. As with comparable international measures, the proposal is likely to generate significant legal and practical debate around data privacy matters and data collection. The announcement should be understood as part of an emerging global trend towards a more interventionist approach in respect of digital markets, particularly where vulnerable user groups (such as children) are concerned. For UK businesses, the immediate implications lie in the reallocation of compliance risk to platform operators, the anticipated expansion of age verification regimes, and the need to assess how existing UK GDPR and Online Safety Act obligations will work alongside the proposed restrictions.