UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer Announces Social Media Ban for Under-16s

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a social media ban for under-16s on Monday. Teenagers will be blocked from major social media platforms, while gaming apps and other online platforms will face restrictions, such as removing the option to chat with strangers, starting next spring. Older teenagers up to 18 will also have restrictions preventing late-night scrolling.

The ban aims to protect children from harmful, addictive content and contact with strangers. A national consultation from March to last month showed nine in 10 parents and two-thirds of young people supported a ban for under-16s. The restrictions will apply to platforms like Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat, Facebook, and X, but not messaging apps like WhatsApp or Signal.

Ireland has discussed similar restrictions but prefers an EU-wide approach, as digital services cross borders. The Department of Communications confirmed this preference, stating an EU approach would be more effective for platforms and regulators. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has convened a panel on online child safety, which will report this summer, potentially leading to EU-wide proposals.

Online safety advocates in Ireland, including CyberSafeKids, argue against a blanket ban, suggesting it is ineffective. Instead, they propose an independent risk assessment and precertification process for any platform, game, app, or AI system entering the European market. They also advocate for enforcing existing GDPR provisions to protect children from data exploitation. Current Irish legislation includes the Online Safety Media Regulation Act and the EU-wide Digital Services Act, but advocates criticize their efficacy.