The United Kingdom will ban children under the age of 16 from accessing social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X and YouTube, to protect them from harmful content. The restrictions were announced Monday by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer: “It will make a huge difference. It will make our children safer. It will make our children happier. It will give them more time, more security, more freedom to grow up, more opportunity.”

Britain joins Australia, which in 2025 became the first country in the world to impose a ban on social media for children under 16. Meanwhile, over a dozen other countries, including France and Denmark, are weighing legislation that would restrict children’s access to social media websites and apps.