UK government announces social media ban for under-16s
Children under the age of 16 will be banned from using social media in the UK starting early next year, with regulations expected to pass before Christmas.
Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat and TikTok are just a few of the platforms that will be affected, while messaging apps such as WhatsApp will be permitted. YouTube will also be part of the ban, but its YouTube Kids app designed for children will be exempt.
Additional measures may also be put in place to protect those under 18. For example, overnight curfews and restrictions on infinite scrolling are also being considered. Some high-risk features, such as chatting with strangers and livestreaming, will be turned off by default for those younger than 17.
Another area of concern is AI romantic companion chatbots, which are designed to carry on romantic or sexual relationships with users. These will be limited to those aged 18 and over. Children will be allowed to continue to use gaming platforms like Roblox, but in-game chat will be restricted.
At the heart of the policy is age verification; Ofcom will be tasked with reviewing the best methods. ID checks and face scanning could be required, but privacy campaigners have expressed serious reservations about data handling. Another potential barrier that must be addressed is the use of VPNs to bypass age restrictions.
The UK isn’t the first country to implement such a ban; Australia set up one of its own last December. Enforcement has been inconsistent, however, with more than 70% of parents telling regulators their children were still able to access banned platforms after six months.
Social media companies have been pushing back against the measures, arguing that they could send teens to less safe areas of the internet to get around bans.