Government exploring under-16 social media ban in new online safety push

Starmer warns tech firms: 'No platform gets a free pass’

The government has announced plans for a wide-ranging crackdown on social media and AI platforms, but not all industry watchers are convinced.

Discussing the plans, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer insisted that "no platform gets a free pass" under the new restrictions aimed at protecting children online.

The proposals include measures to eliminate illegal content generated by AI, close loopholes allowing chatbots to produce harmful material, and consider the introduction of a minimum age for social media use.

Much of this was already under consideration, but the sexual deepfakes produced by X’s Grok chatbot last month have thrown the matter back into the limelight.

Ministers say the reforms could be implemented within months, signalling a willingness to confront major technology companies over child safety.

Sir Keir said the "status quo is not good enough" and that the government was determined to act more quickly than in the past. He criticised the fact that the Online Safety Act took eight years to pass through Parliament.

In a message outlining the plans, the Prime Minister shared his concerns about platform design features such as auto-play and infinite scrolling, which he said keep children "hooked on their screens for hours."

"We will bring new powers that will give us the ability to crack down on the addictive elements of social media," he wrote, adding that the government would also work to prevent children from bypassing age limits.

The European Union has recently moved to ban infinite scrolling and other “addictive” features using the powers of the Digital Services Act.

The UK proposals would also bring AI chatbot providers more firmly within the scope of the Online Safety Act, forcing them to comply with rules on illegal content.

Another measure would require technology firms to preserve data on a child's device if they die, in what campaigners have dubbed "Jools' Law."

The change has been championed by Ellen Roome, whose 14-year-old son Jools Sweeney died in 2022. She said the announcement was about "truth" and "accountability" for families seeking answers.

"Because of Jools, and because of relentless campaigning, other families will now have access to answers," she said, adding that more must be done to prevent harm in the first place.

Officials also confirmed a consultation with technology companies on how best to safeguard children, including the possibility of setting a minimum age for social media and restricting certain design features.

Last year, Australia became the first country to introduce a mandatory minimum social media age of 16, a move UK ministers say they are watching closely.

Sir Keir, who has two teenage children, said parents were increasingly worried about the impact of social media:

"Technology is moving really fast, and the law has got to keep up," he said. "With my government, Britain will be a leader, not a follower, when it comes to online safety."

But some academics have cautioned against an outright ban for under-16s.

Researchers at the University of East Anglia said such a policy could push young people into riskier online spaces and fail to hold platforms accountable.

Dr Harry Dyer, an Associate Professor in Education at the School of Education and Lifelong Learning at UEA, said banning social media for younger teenagers was "the wrong tool for the job".

"A ban won't stop teenagers using social media," he said.

"It just pushes them into riskier behaviour. They’ll turn to VPNs, fake accounts, and unregulated corners of the internet where there are fewer safeguards, not more. We end up driving them away into more dangerous practices, and in turn make them worried about telling people about what they’re doing online."

Professor Paul Bernal added that the positive role of social media for many children, particularly those who feel isolated or marginalised, was often overlooked.

"The downsides are discussed at length, the upsides barely mentioned, despite the fact that for most kids, most of the time, social media is a very good thing," he noted.