The UK government announced a plan to ban social media apps for users under 16, restricting features like livestreaming and messaging for minors.
The British government will ban social media apps for under‑16s early next year.
BBC News reports the measure will target platforms whose purpose is to enable social interaction and allow users to post material, with Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X named among those covered.
The plan would restrict features such as livestreaming and the ability for strangers to contact children, would exclude messaging services like WhatsApp and Signal, and considers overnight curfews and breaks in infinite scrolling for users under 18.
The UK joins a growing list of countries that have passed or proposed similar restrictions, led by Australia and including Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Malaysia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, the UAE and Vietnam, and France has proposed an EU‑wide ban.
9to5Mac noted academic studies linking social media use to declining teenage mental health, cited a 2024 meta‑analysis that concluded there was a causal link with depression and anxiety, and reported a 2024 reader survey in which 70% of respondents said under‑16s should "absolutely" be banned from social media while a further 17% said they "probably" should be.
