UK to ban under-16s from ‘high risk’ social media apps

Measures to include restrictions on ‘safe’ social media apps, with some fearing banning some platforms and not others will lead to legal challenges

Teenagers under the age of 16 are to be banned from accessing “high-risk” social media apps while safer platforms will be subjected to restrictions, under a sweeping government crackdown.

Under-18s will also be banned from using romantic or sexual AI chatbots after a consultation on keeping children safe online .

However, sources warned the government faced the threat of judicial review over its decision to ban some platforms and not others. Keir Starmer is to outline the plans on Monday but ministers will set out which specific platforms face an under-16 ban at a later date.

The measures to be announced by the prime minister include restrictions on “safe” social media apps, meaning under-16s will be banned from receiving or using disappearing messages, chats with adult strangers, and livestreaming.

The turnaround has been rapid, with the government setting out its response less than a fortnight after the consultation closed on 2 June. The government received more than 116,000 responses to the consultation and nine out of 10 parents expressed support for an under-16 ban.

A Downing Street source said the prime minister had been clear since the closing of the consultation that the government’s action needed to be a “gamechanger” and nothing was off the table.

“It’s not going to be an incremental change, this is not going to be half measures,” said the source. “The prime minister has listened to parents and he understands that they feel they are trying to do the right thing, but they are on their own against huge tech giants. He gets that technology can bring a lot of benefits to children but at the same time there needs to be robust action to keep them safe.