ALBAWABA - UK Prime Minister Kier Starmer announced that the country is banning social media access for children under the age of 16 following growing concerns over harmful content online.
Starmer took to X (formerly Twitter) and wrote, "We are banning social media access for under 16s. These days kids must find their feet in a world where technology intrudes into every area of their life. I just can’t let that go on anymore. So we’re giving children their childhoods back."
According to The Guardian, Starmer added, "Social media is making children unhappy, it’s making it easier for bullies to harass and abuse them, and it could even be harming their mental health."
The announcement sparked mixed reactions on social media, with many users criticizing the UK government for its decision, further accusing it of "censorship" and "control" with "child safety" as a disguise.
UK bans social media for under 16s, Starmer says
The ban includes major social media platforms, with gaming apps being an exception, and includes restrictions such as removing the option for children to chat with strangers. Among the platforms affected are Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X, the BBC wrote, citing the UK government.
UK youth remain split on the decision, with some siding with the government, while others criticized it for taking the "easy way out" by banning it rather than exploring "safer options."
According to the BBC, Australia became the first country in the world to implement a similar ban in December, and it seems UK has finally caught up with the decision after hinting at it for some time.
Previously, the UK announced an online age verification system for adult content on July 25 under its recent "Online Safety Act," which targets platforms with pornographic content, violence, and suicide-related material. Many locals, including adults, expressed privacy concerns since ID scans and bank checks could be required for verification.
A social media user wrote, "We know what you're doing. You're using "child safety" as a Trojan horse for device-level digital ID infrastructure."
Another added, "Thank you Keir Jong Un, what would we do without being forced to upload our photo ID so your glorious leadership can monitor who we are and what we post."
To bypass the verification, many underage people found out that using screenshots from characters in their favorite video game, or stock photos from Google.
