How will the UK ban on social media for under 16s work?

London: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that in order to “give children back their childhood”, he will impose a ban on social media sites for children under the age of 16 and restrictions on gaming and live broadcast platforms.

Details of what is banned, how the measures will be implemented and when they are expected to come into force are below:

TIKTOK, YOUTUBE AND INSTAGRAM ARE BANNED

The government said that children who use social media platforms, whose purpose is to enable social interaction between users and allow users to publish material with algorithms, will be blocked.

This means that the ban will cover platforms such as Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X, the government said in a statement.

Also read: UK will ban under-16s from using various social media apps, Prime Minister Starmer says
The government has said it does not intend to include messaging services such as WhatsApp or music streaming services in the ban and that exemptions will be kept under review.HOW WILL THE BAN BE IMPLEMENTED?

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the ban would be enforced through action against social media platforms, rather than punishing children who found ways to get around the ban.

The government said regulator Ofcom will carry out a rapid study to determine the best way to verify whether a person is over 16 and will have a new enforcement strategy and funding.

TIME OF PROHIBITION

Starmer said he aimed to pass the relevant regulations before Christmas and have the ban come into force early next year.

A full response to the government’s consultation on the issue will be published in July, detailing the details of the policy.

RESTRICTIONS ON GAMING SITES

The government also said live streaming and communication with strangers would be blocked for people under 16, including gaming sites.

Also read: Canada passes law banning social media for children under 16 and regulating AI chatbots

Starmer said this would prevent strangers from contacting children through these sites.

GOVERNMENT Will Look at Curfews, Scrolling Restrictions

The government will also further examine overnight curfews and endless scrolling breaks for under-18s and provide further details in its response next month.

Restrictions on functions banned for under-16s will also apply to 16- and 17-year-olds by default, the government said.