UK weighs restricting social media access for children under 16

The UK government is considering introducing a ban on social media use for teenagers under the age of 16.

According to the Financial Times, the proposal is being discussed in the House of Lords as part of a child wellbeing bill.

Alongside a potential outright ban, authorities are also exploring additional measures, including recommended screen-time limits, a possible smartphone “curfew,” and restrictions on addictive features such as infinite scrolling and short-form video feeds.

To assess how effective such measures could be, UK officials plan to visit Australia. There, a ban on social media for users under 16 came into force in December 2025 and is now being viewed as a potential benchmark for other countries.

Previously, in November 2025, the European Parliament also called for restricting access to social media for children under 16, although implementing such bans at the EU level falls outside its formal powers.

Australia becomes the first country to impose a full social media ban for under-16s

Australia has enacted a nationwide ban preventing children under 16 from using social media, marking the strictest law of its kind anywhere in the world.

Durov's CodeIgor Savkin