How could a UK social media ban for under-16s work?

Consultation into new social media protections to launch in March as government pledges to do all it can to keep children safe online NewsUKHome NewsHow could a UK social media ban for under-16s work?Consultation into new social media protections to launch in March as government pledges to do all it can to keep children safe onlineTara Cobham Monday 16 February 2026 09:35 GMTBookmarkCommentsGo to commentsBookmark popoverRemoved from bookmarksClose popoverPrince Harry tells families grieving over children who died after using social media: 'None of you should be here'Your support helps us to tell the storyRead moreSupport NowFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. 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We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.Read moreSir Keir Starmer has vowed to enforce a crackdown on children under the age of 16 using smartphones in the UK within months.The prime minister is meeting parents and young people on Monday to insist that the government will do all it can to keep children safe online.A consultation into new social media protections will launch in March and be guided by what parents and children say they want to see.Ahead of setting out the new plans to prevent harms, Sir Keir warned that no online platform will get a “free pass” when it comes to children’s safety on the internet.He added: “Technology is moving really fast, and the law has got to keep up. With my government, Britain will be a leader, not a follower, when it comes to online safety.”But what is actually being proposed by the government? We take a look at the possibilities below.open image in gallerySir Keir Starmer has vowed to enforce a crackdown on children using smartphones within months (PA)What online safety measures might the government introduce for childrenThe government plans to consult on banning children from social media, and restricting features such as infinite scrolling.Children could also be prevented from using virtual private networks (VPNs) to illicitly access pornography, and limited from speaking with online chatbots under the proposals being floated by the prime minister.The government is vowing to close legal loopholes that have allowed chatbots to create deepfake nude images, and is planning further curbs on social media.This follows the war of words between ministers and Elon Musk earlier this year, after his Grok AI chatbot – embedded into the social media site X – amid concerns it was being used to make fake nude images of women and sexualised images children.open image in galleryElon Musk’s Grok AI chatbot – embedded into the social media site X – was used widely to make fake nude images of women earlier this year (AFP/Getty)How and when could the proposals come into forceThe consultation into new social media protections will launch in March.Ministers are taking steps now to bring in powers that mean they can act swiftly and respond to its results within months.Before that, they will act now to close a legal loophole and force all AI chatbot providers to abide by the Online Safety Act or face the consequences of breaking the law.Ministers also plan to introduce powers through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill to speedily change the law in reactions to changing online behaviours.Elsewhere, amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill will be used to ensure chatbots protect users from illegal content.What could a social media ban for under-16s look like in the UK including what could be bannedWhile no concrete details for an under-16s social media ban have been confirmed in the UK, Australia, which introduced one last year, can be viewed as a possible template.Australia started enforcing a world-first prohibition on social media for children under 16 in December, requiring 10 of the largest platforms, including TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and X/Twitter, to lock out young users or face fines of up to A$49.5m (£26.5m), making it one of the world’s toughest digital restrictions.The ban was expected to affect over a million accounts.Platforms said they would use a combination of tools – like behaviour analysis to estimate user age – and age estimation technologies involving selfies to enforce the ban. They may also require identification documents or linked bank details to verify a user’s age.open image in galleryAustralia's prime pinister Anthony Albane