British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is set to announce a ban on “harmful” online platforms for children under 16 while maintaining access to some safer forms of social media, The Times reported on Monday. A formal ban is unlikely to come this week, though the government could soon detail measures to prevent children from producing sexualised images used for sextortion.
Starmer decided to proceed with restrictions after speaking to bereaved parents and considering evidence from Australia, which introduced a social media ban for under-16s in December 2025. A Downing Street source said the prime minister “is not afraid about taking on the tech companies and their bosses to protect young people.”
Britain’s online safety law already requires social media companies to take measures to protect children from illegal and harmful content. The UK earlier this year consulted on additional curbs including curfews, time limits and restrictions on addictive design features. Experts remain divided on how effective a total ban would be.
France, Denmark and Poland are also weighing tighter rules around children’s social media use, while Greece announced in April that it would ban access for under-15s from January 2027. Malaysia introduced its own under-16 ban earlier this month, joining the growing global wave that began with Australia’s landmark legislation.
In Sri Lanka, SLFP MP Dayasiri Jayasekara submitted a private members’ motion in May seeking a ban on social media for those under 15, citing rising concerns about online safety, mental health and exposure to harmful content.
Source: Reuters via Ada Derana.
