The UK government is introducing legislation that will force tech companies like TikTok and YouTube to restrict access for users under 16 years old and to require age verification checks for social media users.
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Fox News reports that the age restrictions, which would take effect early next year, would also apply to Instagram, Facebook and X, while exempting messaging services such as WhatsApp, Signal, and YouTube Kids.
According to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the proposed legislation would impose hefty fines on social media companies that fail to keep minors off their platforms.
🚨 SUMMARY: The UK’s social media ban for children from early 2027:
– “User-to-user” apps where people create, share and interact with content (e.g. TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, X, Facebook) will be banned for under-16s
– WhatsApp, Signal and YouTube Kids will be…
— Politics UK (@PolitlcsUK) June 15, 2026
PBS reports that the government is also considering curfews and limits on infinite scrolling for users under 18.
Starmer justified the intervention, telling reporters “Every parent can see it with their own eyes. Social media is making children unhappy. I’ve heard first hand from families crying out for change and we will do right by them.”
He also emphasized that enforcement efforts would be directed at technology companies rather than the children themselves. Platforms that fail to take steps to prevent underage chldren from accessing social media services could face multimillion-dollar fines.
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A fact sheet from the UK government describes plans to use a variety of age verification methods for adults, which may include facial recognition, linking credit cards to accounts, or relying on existing data.
Critics of the proposed law claim that universal age verification is a form of a traceable digital ID.
This censorship law is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. The real goal is to enable the UK government to track everyone. https://t.co/aZKpGDdPmX
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 15, 2026
If Britain were to move forward with the ban, it would join the growing international push to limit children’s access to social media.
Australia last year became the first country to prohibit children under 16 from holding social media accounts, while Canada, Brazil and Indonesia have introduced or proposed similar age-based restrictions, while France, Spain, Denmark, Thailand and South Korea are also studying similar approaches.
Starmer said he expected to discuss the issue with President Donald Trump and other world leaders at the G7 summit in France that started Monday, according to Fox News.
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