UK to Join Australia’s Social Media Ban with Tougher New Rules
Synopsis
The UK is set to follow Australia in tightening online social media rules on children with major online safety reforms promised by Prime Minister Keir Starmer Key Highlights Britain will take game changer action…
The UK is set to follow Australia in tightening online social media rules on children with major online safety reforms promised by Prime Minister Keir Starmer
Key Highlights
- Britain will take game changer action on social media, says Keir Starmer.
- Britain is considering stricter rules than Australia’s ban on under-16s.
- Starmer held discussions this week with families who have experienced children being harmed by content seen online.
- UK proposals range from age bans to play-to-earn restrictions and limits on the use of AI chatbots.
- Australia’s ban on social media for anyone under the age of 16 has become a template for regulators across the globe.
UK to Implement Social Media Ban for Under-16s
Six months after Australia introduced its under 16 Social Media ban through the new Online Safety Act, the UK is watching to learn how these laws work in practice and how could they implement them. As UK lawmakers understand how best to regulate the online sphere, the under-16 age verification system that Australia is moving toward has emerged as a key point of reference for platform enforcement and social media companies operating in both countries.
Proposals by Keir Starmer to ban Social Media were pushed this week when the British Prime Minister met families who had lost their children to exposure to online harm. Before the meeting, Starmed spoke about how quickly the government would act and what could be a game changer for planned reforms. The question was no longer whether there would be action, but how far the Government should go in protecting children online, he said.
Britain weighs rules stricter than Aussie ban
Britain closed its consultation this week on restrictions on child social media usage that consider options potentially stretching beyond current Australian laws. The UK is looking very seriously at introducing catch-all mandatory minimum age limits on social media, as well as stronger age verification systems and controls on AI chatbots/recommendation algorithms targeting children.
Starmer is also under mounting political pressure, with campaigners, doctors, and MPs calling for rapid reforms to social media access for UK children. However, Streeting, the former UK health secretary, said social media should be treated like tobacco, marketed in a way that is, in some sense, regulatory towards children, and said restrictions on under-16s should mark only the opening shot ahead of wider regulation aimed at major tech firms. U.K. medical groups have also warned that social media is damaging children in ways on par with tobacco, pointing to rising mental health issues and the availability of harmful content online
Australia’s ban has sparked the worldwide push for regulation
The Australian laws came into effect in December 2025. They made Australia the first country in the world to formally ban minors under age 16 from using large social media platforms. After the ban came into force, federal government figures revealed that more than 4.7 million accounts on TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat and other sites were shut down soon afterwards.
Governments of Asia, Europe and America are now replicating the Australian model. France, Spain, Denmark, Indonesia, and other countries are preparing comparable curbs amid the talks over the UK TikTok ban. Britain to release the response for its findings by later this year with Keir Starmer saying that no option off the table.
FAQs
- What is the social media ban for under-16s in the UK?
Britain is considering to model the online safety laws of Australia’s Social Media ban.
- Which rules are the UK considering?
The UK is considering bans on age, autoplay limitations, controls for AI chatbots, and harsher age verification systems.
- What is the Australia Online Safety Act?
Australia is the first country to only allow children under 16 access to social media.
- How many Australian accounts were compromised?
According to reports at least 4.7 million social media accounts were deactivated shortly after the laws went into effect.
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