UK Proposes Under-16 Social Media Ban, Australia Data Shows Low Compliance

On June 15, 2026, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced at a Downing Street press conference that the UK government would introduce legislation to ban children under 16 from using social media platforms such as TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and X. “Social media is making our children unhappy,” Starmer said, adding, “As a parent, as much as a Prime Minister, I just can’t let that go on anymore.”

The bill is expected to be tabled before Parliament by the end of the year, with protections slated to take effect by spring 2027. Under the proposed rules, tech companies—not children—would face regulatory action and fines for failing to take reasonable steps to enforce the age limit. The ban would not apply to messaging services like WhatsApp and Signal, nor to YouTube Kids or online learning tools. Platforms could face substantial financial penalties for non-compliance, though exact figures have yet to be specified.

In addition to the age ban, Starmer outlined further restrictions on platform functions, including limits on livestreaming and cross-user contact on gaming platforms. Authorities are also considering overnight curfews and limits on infinite scrolling for users under 18.

The government cited a survey showing 89 per cent of parents and carers support a legal minimum age for social media, with 96 per cent of those supporters agreeing the limit should be at least 16.

The UK’s approach is modelled on Australia’s Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act, which came into force on December 10, 2025. Australia was the first country to implement such a ban, requiring platforms including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, X, YouTube, Reddit, Twitch, and Kick to take reasonable steps to prevent under-16s from holding accounts. Repeated violations can draw fines of up to A$49.5 million (approximately $33 million). The Australian law does not allow any exceptions based on parental consent.

A working paper published by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) in April 2026, co-authored by economists from the University of Chicago, Harvard Law School, and other institutions, provides early data on the Australian ban’s impact. The study surveyed 835 teenagers aged 14–15 four months after the law took effect. It found that only about 27 per cent of those affected were complying with the ban. Most non-compliant teens said their friends were still using the platforms, and fear of missing out was the primary reason for non-compliance.

The researchers noted that teenagers would stop using social media only if roughly two-thirds of their peers had already done so. Given the current 27 per cent compliance rate, that threshold is far from being met. The paper also warned that if compliance dips below 15 per cent—meaning fewer than 15 in every 100 banned teens comply—the ban could lose its effect entirely, as too few peers are following it to influence others.

An additional finding was that teenagers perceived peers who complied with the ban as less popular than those who did not. The authors concluded that sustaining higher compliance may require measures that directly shape social norms and individual incentives, such as time caps or peer-level rewards. The UK government has stated it will examine the Australian experience to refine its own implementation.