British PM Keir Starmer announces ban on social media for under-16s

London: Britain will ban under-16s from using a range of social media apps, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Monday, calling it "a big moment for our country."

Starmer said he will fight back if technology companies resist the move, intended to protect children from harmful content and excessive screen time. He says he is "not prepared to compromise on the safety and happiness of our children."

The move makes the UK part of growing global movement to tighten online safety for children. Australia, Canada, Brazil and Indonesia have introduced legislation or announced age-based restrictions or requirements for children's access to social media. France, Spain, Denmark, Thailand and South Korea are among others studying or developing similar approaches.

"How we keep kids safe online is one of the biggest debates of our time," Starmer said in a statement released before the announcement. "This is a choice about whose side we're on: families across the country, or a status quo that isn't working."

Starmer did not immediately say what apps would be covered. He said it would take effect early next year.

Starmer, who is under pressure to step down from members of his own party over what they see as poor leadership, said Sunday it would be a "world-leading" action to protect children. He suggested it be more prohibitive than the Australian-style ban on social media for children under 16.

The Sunday Times reported that the UK would also restrict chatbots, features on some gaming apps and place a curfew aimed at preventing older teens from late-night scrolling.

The under-16 ban would apply to TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X, YouTube, Snapchat, Threads, Twitch, Kick and Reddit, the Times reported.

The decision follows a public comment period in which the government got 116,000 responses from parents, the tech industry and children. The number of responses was second only to one seeking input about marriage equality in 2012.

The vast majority of respondents wanted an under-16 ban, including youths, said Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, who added that a ban should be part of other measures.

"I don't think banning social media on its own is the silver bullet solution, but I do think Australia has shown very clearly that it has a significant role to play," Nandy told BBC on Sunday.

The ban could further inflame tensions with the US, which has warned that regulations should be narrow and not violate free speech protections, according to a statement from the U.S. Embassy in London. It said it was also concerned that regulations would place greater burdens on American technology companies.

Jon Crowcroft, a communications systems professor at University of Cambridge, said people supporting social bans are well-meaning but probably misguided, and changes could prevent children from accessing sites they need.

"There is a real risk this will drive some users to worse sites and policing devices is close to impossible technically," Crowcroft said. "Policing platforms is far easier, if only regulators would bother."