UK to ban children under 16 from TikTok, Instagram and YouTube starting early 2027
Nation Africa—Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced the UK will ban children under 16 from a range of social media platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube, with the measure taking effect from early 2027. WhatsApp and direct messaging apps are excluded from the ban. A YouGov poll found 74% of Britons support the restriction. Meta and YouTube warned a blanket ban could push teens into 'anonymous, less-safe' unregulated spaces, and researchers said evidence linking social media to mental health harm remains contested. Australia's comparable earlier ban has shown mixed early results.
- Nation Africa — Britain announces sweeping social media ban for under-16s - Daily Nation
- PBS NewsHour — UK bans children younger than 16 from using social media apps including TikTok and YouTube - PBS
- Fox News — Tech — UK to ban TikTok, YouTube, other social media apps for children under 16, Starmer says
- Guardian — Science — Should we ban social media for under-16s? – podcast
- Breitbart — United Arab Emirates Bans Social Media for Children Under 15
- Associated Press — UK bans under-16s from TikTok, YouTube and other apps
- Semafor — 74% of Britons support the ban in YouGov polls; evidence for mental health links remains contested.
- ABC News — Technology — WhatsApp and messaging apps are excluded; YouTube and Meta warned the ban could push kids to anonymous, unregulated spaces.
- CBS News — UK announces plan to ban social media for children under 16
- BBC — Technology — Under-16s will be banned from Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and Snapchat starting early 2027.
- Der Spiegel — Australia introduced a similar social media ban for children — early results have been mixed.