Five big questions about the UK's under-16s social media ban
BBC News 2026-06-16 12:09:57
Context: The UK government has announced a ban on social media for children under the age of 16, with the aim of protecting them from potential harm. The ban, which is set to come into force in early 2027, will initially target major social media platforms including Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and X. The government plans to provide an update on further restrictions, including potential curfews and curbing of "addictive" features, in July.
Key Facts
- The UK government's social media ban for under-16s will cover platforms "whose purpose is to enable social interaction and which allow users to post material", but will likely exempt messaging apps like WhatsApp and Signal.
- The ban will not apply to YouTube Kids, but it is unclear how YouTube will tackle children accessing the platform through search without an account, or how educational content will be exempt from restrictions.
- Roblox, a hugely popular gaming site with children in the UK, may not be included in the ban, as it was not mentioned by the government and lies outside Australia's similar ban, but it will still need to abide by requirements to disable features that let strangers communicate with children.
- The government plans to use "highly effective age assurance" measures, including facial age estimation technology and photo ID matching, to enforce the ban, but it is unclear how it will tackle the use of virtual private networks (VPNs) to circumvent the ban.