UK PM Starmer announces ban on social media apps for children under 16

LONDON: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday announced that social media app access will be banned for all children under the age of 16 for their "happiness and safety". In an address from 10 Downing Street in London, Starmer said it was the right choice both as Prime Minister and as a father of young children.

He admitted that it will not be easy to impose such a ban involving some of the most powerful tech companies in the world, but the health and well-being of children were paramount. "Today is a big moment for our country. This is a big step, real change for our children and our future because today I can announce that the government will ban access to social media for all children under the age of 16," said Starmer.

"This is not something I do lightly, and I will not present it as cost-free as if social media has brought no benefits to young people, because clearly that is wrong. But government is always about choices, and it's clear to me that a full ban is the right choice," he said.

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Social media is making children unhappy: British PM

The announcement followed a lengthy consultation process fed into by campaigners, including parents, whose children have been impacted by the harmful effects of social media apps such as TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram and YouTube.

While messaging apps such as WhatsApp will not be included in the ban, gaming services and live streaming platforms where strangers can contact children unchecked will be restricted through an age verification system yet to be finalised.

"All I've ever wanted for my own children, hand on heart, is for them to be happy and for them to be safe, and I think that's what any parent wants," said Starmer. "Social media is making children unhappy; it's making it easier for bullies to harass and abuse them. And it could even be harming their mental health, exposing them to content that is dangerous.

"Because that's what grabs the attention, it's designed to be addictive, of course it is. Features like the infinite scroll. They're designed to lock you in for hours; if nothing else, there's an opportunity cost to that. It stops children doing their homework, reading, playing with their friends outside, going to bed at a decent hour," he said.

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Important to adapt govt's approach as tech changes: PM Starmer

Asked about the timeline for the enforcement of the ban, the UK PM told reporters that the legislative powers had been put in place for the law to come into force by Spring next year. "It won't be easy, some technology companies want us to think that social media is unchangeable, part of an almost natural order. But we have to resist that kind of learned helplessness; we have agency, we can change it, and we will.

"Yes, it's hard, hard to legislate for, hard to regulate, hard to enforce. That's why we sought a wide range of views on this," he said. He expressed confidence that parents will welcome the "clear and decisive choice" because it is important to adapt the government's approach as technology changes.

"We're not just bringing forward a ban, we're taking world-leading action on gaming services and live streaming platforms where, at the moment, strangers can contact any child unchecked... Is there a situation in the offline world where you would just let your child pair up with a stranger, an adult you don't know anything about? No, so we're taking action on that," he added.

The details of how the ban will work in practice are expected to emerge as further data emerges from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). The UK's action comes after Australia became the first country in the world to introduce a similar ban in December last year.