Keir Starmer says under-16s will be banned from social media - key points from the announcement
"We hope to pass regulation before Christmas," the PM says, adding the ban will then come into place by spring 2027
Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X are among the platforms affected - but not WhatsApp and Signal, the government says
"A full ban is the right choice... I am not prepared to compromise on the safety and happiness of our children," the prime minister says in a televised statement
As well as the ban, the government says it will block "harmful functions such as livestreaming" and is looking into potential overnight curfews
Australia became the first country in the world to introduce a similar ban in December last year
A little earlier a panel of bereaved families were invited to watch the prime minister's announcement in the BBC Breakfast studio.
Watch the video above as the parents introduce their children and give their reaction to the social media ban.
Tiffanie Turnbull
BBC News
Australia's world-leading social media ban for under-16s came into effect in December, to global fanfare.
Kids told us then it took them less than five minutes to outsmart the age checks being relied on to enforce it.
More than six months on, implementing this policy remains incredibly difficult.
One student told us recently that in her grade of more than 170 students, she knew of only three who had been booted off social media.
And more than 70% of parents have told the Australia's internet regulator their children were still on these platforms, a recent survey found.
Almost five million accounts had been deactivated by the tech firms as of January, but a “substantial proportion” of under-16s in the country either kept their profiles, managed to create new ones or have bypassed age gating systems.
No fines have been handed out yet - but the eSafety Commission says it is investigating potential non-compliance by Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube and will have an update on those probes shortly.
Australia introduced its social media ban in December and this morning Prime Minister Anthony Albanese lauded Keir Starmer for following suit, in a post on X.
"Social media giants operate across borders. By standing together, we can do more to hold them accountable and keep children safe online."
Joe Tidy
Cyber correspondent
According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) 25 countries now have social media age restrictions in force, enacted, or under active consideration.
The OECD research was published in April so the number may well have gone up as the policy has continued to spread since 2023 as it became a major talking point.
Australia was the first country to ban social media for under 16s with the law coming into effect in December last year.
Spain and Portugal seem to be the next in line with politicians announcing plans and partly voting the rules in.
Bans are likely to come into force this year.
Governments in France, Malaysia, Denmark, Indonesia, Norway and Canada are also in the process of bringing in a ban.
Laws have also been passed in several US states but are being challenged in the courts.
Most countries have settled on 16 being the age to allow children on social platforms but some, including Denmark, are using 15 as the bar.
Louise Gibson, who believes her 11-year-old son Noah died while attempting an online 'blackout challenge', says the UK should "lead" and "show other countries... what can be done".
She says the UK should "get the restrictions in place" and "tighten the algorithms".
"It would be great to be world-leading on this front", she says, adding she feels "fairly confident" the ban will improve the situation.
Louise Gibson feels "fairly confident" now the ban has been announced
Mark, speaking about his son Murray who died aged 16 in December 2023 after being blackmailed
Mark Dowey, whose son Murray died after being blackmailed by sextortion, says he was previously "on the fence" about a social media ban, but thinks it will be a "positive thing".
Appearing on BBC Breakfast, he says he was impressed by the prime minister's "powerful" speech.
"I'm hopeful it will be substantive and it will deliver some real change on the ground".
He agrees with the prime minister about how teenagers can get around things, but remains "hopeful" that it will get to a point where it "starts to make a real societal change".
In response to YouTube saying that any UK social media ban could push children to less safe services, he says:
"If that's the best they've got then I think they're in trouble, I think they're basically acknowledging they don't have a reasonable position here. To say something like that is unfortunate, if that's the best they've got then bring it on."
Zoe Kleinman
Technology editor
I have just left the briefing at Number 10 where I sat directly behind campaigners who have fought for years to see children banned from social media.
I took their photo outside the famous front door beforehand and they were jubilant.
They clapped and cheered when the PM announced it; but there are many missing details, including a definitive list of banned platforms and how it will actually work.
The PM compared it several times with laws around drinking alcohol and how some teenagers get around that too: I left the briefing to a bunch of messages from critics saying this misses the point about driving children to darker corners of the internet as they seek alternatives.
He also alluded to additional measures aimed at under 18s as well - make no mistake, social media will become a very different landscape when this ban comes into force in the spring.
As other countries like Canada go down the same path, children are going to have to find other things to do. And the PM has to hope they will be wholesome activities.
Ofcom says it is ready to work with the government to "build on this progress with new measures to protect children".
In a statement released after the announcement, it says Ofcom, which regulates the communications services, has driven "some of the strongest changes" for online safety regulation and is ready to work closely with the government.
Image source, Bloomberg via Getty ImagesToday's ban is a "bold" step towards "creating a safer, healthier life online" for children and future generations, technology secretary Liz Kendall said.
"Tech companies have had countless opportunities to keep children safe, yet they have failed to act. That is why we are a taking power away from the tech giants and putting it back in parents’ hands," she said in a written press release that came alongside the announcement.
"My driving force has always been to give every child, from every background, the best possible start in life," she said. "That is what these regulations will deliver."
Image source, ReutersReform UK leader Nigel Farage says the ban is "well-intentioned" but "unlikely to work" given the popularity of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs).
VPNs allow users to have a private, secure internet connection that could bypass age-checks by hiding your location and identity.
He claims that age-verification checks will lead to "the introduction of digital ID via the back door".
The answer, Farage says, is "handsets for children with limited features".
Image source, PA MediaConservative leader Kemi Badenoch has welcomed plans to ban under-16s from social media.
"It is fantastic news that the Government has finally woken up to the dangers of social media for young people. This is an important step in helping parents protect childhood for children," she writes in a post on X.
She says that the Tories "welcome this latest Labour U-turn" and adds that they will work for the "best implementation of the policy".
Starmer was also asked by a journalist from The Mirror about comments from Ian Russell, whose daughter Molly took her own life in 2017 after viewing harmful content online. Russell has said “sledgehammer techniques like bans” only cause more problems.
Starmer expressed his "highest respect" for Russell, saying he has had the opportunity to talk it through with him "on a number of occasions" including "just a few weeks ago".
Starmer said he recognised Russell's personal experience, including his concerns that a ban avoids pushing providers to ensure content is age appropriate. But he said he believed the ban does "a bit of both".
The policy "bans with clarity", he said, while also including "additional measures" intended to tackle some of the features of concern.
On Russell's suggestion that the policy has been rushed through, Starmer said that he doesn't believe this to be the case, referencing the government consultation. The "sharing of experiences" has been an "important part of it", he added.
Back in Downing Street, where the PM has been taking questions from journalists following his statement, Keir Starmer's asked if he's concerned how Donald Trump will react to the social media ban.
He's also asked whether this ban forms part of his legacy and whether there are any circumstances in which he would step down as PM.
Starmer replies that the ban is about "fighting for what we think is right... and protecting children is right". He says he is a "fan of tech and AI" but doesn't accept you can't be pro-tech while also protecting children.
"Innovation is incredible in AI," he says, adding: "Don't tell me it's impossible" for companies to devise ways of protecting children. Tech companies "know very well" that they have a responsibility here, he adds.
On the question about his legacy, he says: "I see this differently". The ban is about more than any one individual, he added, calling it "bigger than some of the usual to and fros of politics".
Ellen Roome - mother to Jools, who died in 2022 - says the ban is "fantastic," and describes the speech as "powerful".
"The devil's gonna be in the detail for how this actually happens, but well done, thank you."
She's asked about how the next generation will be re-educated on social media and how children will stay in touch with each other.
She says it needs to be done both in schools and by parents.
"We've got to educate why this is happening, and the harm that is there.
"If children could understand we don't want you talking to a stranger, you wouldn't go to a playground and talk to a stranger, or get into a stranger's car.
"Just as we educate children in an offline world it's no different, we just need to teach them about online and why this is happening and it's actually doing it to protect them."
Esther Ghey says she was repeatedly told "the horse has already bolted" as she was campaigning for social media regulation.
Her daughter Brianna was killed by two teenagers in 2023. One of the killers said she had become interested in "dark materials" online, including videos of murder and torture.
"I'm so glad now that this announcement has been made", Esther Ghey says of the social media ban.
She adds: "Another thing that I'm really happy about it the government is investing in after-school clubs, because we can't just take things away from children".
She says the ban can "potentially save so many children's lives", but adds there needs to be support in place for children who now can't access social media.
Esther Ghey said the ban had the potential to save lives
Mariano Janin
We're bringing you reaction to the ban now from bereaved families who watched the announcement live on BBC Breakfast.
One parent is Mariano Janin. He says he is glad the prime minister listened to their calls for the ban.
He is father to Mia who died at the age of 14 in 2021 after she was a victim to cyber bullying. He has previously said it should be made a specific crime in order to protect children.
He says hearing the announcement made him "emotional" and "speechless".
"I think it's a change in the right direction, it won't be easy, but it will be possible."
He acknowledges that the ban will take time but says it must be effective.
We've just heard from a YouTube spokesperson following Keir Starmer's announcement that under-16s will be banned from using social media, including the video platform.
Here's the statement in full:
"We’ve invested in expert-led, age-appropriate experiences and default protections for teens for over a decade and will continue to do so.
"YouTube is a vital resource for young people, educators and parents, external. Blanket bans push kids out of such curated, supervised, beneficial experiences and towards anonymous, less safe services."
Image source, Bloomberg via Getty ImagesUnder-16s will be banned from using social media, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced.
Starmer says social media is making children unhappy, making it easier for bullies to abuse children, and is "designed to be addictive". A ban would give children more time, security, and more freedom to grow up - as well as more opportunities, he adds.
"That is all any parent wants. They want to know that Britain will be better for their children, that they will get a fair chance," the PM says in a speech in Downing Street.
Starmer adds that the government is "not prepared to compromise" on the safety and happiness of children - and that includes in the regulation and enforcement of this ban. He says the government has listened to and learned from countries like Australia, where a similar ban has already been introduced.
The government is also going further with "world-leading action" on gaming services and live streaming platforms, he says.
If passed in parliament, the ban will come into force by spring 2027, he adds.
Here's a bit more from the statement released by the government as Starmer was speaking earlier.
The government says it will go "further than a blanket ban on social media" by blocking "harmful functions such as livestreaming and stranger communication with children for under-16s".
"These restrictions – which together with the ban go further than any other country – will apply to a wider range of online services, including on gaming sites," it says.
"Restrictions on these functionalities will also be on by default for under 16 and 17-year-olds to prevent a cliff-edge at 16. The government will also be looking in more detail at overnight curfews and breaks in infinite scrolling for under-18-year-olds and will set out more detail in July."
