I've met parents of kids who've taken their own lives because of social media so I back the ban
“I hope that this ban will help reduce the pain and suffering too many families feel.”
The ban on social media for under 16s has been welcomed by Blackpool North and Fleetwood MP Lorraine Beavers who met with parents of children who took their own lives when their mental health suffered due to online pressures.
The Prime Minister announced the ban today in response to concerns social media is unsafe, making children miserable and could cause lasting damage to their mental health.
Ms Beavers said she hoped the ban would include platofrms sucha s Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and X but also further to protect children.
She did support the allowance of messaging apps, such as WhatsApp or signal to keep vital communication open for parents and friens.
She said: “Keeping our children safe on social media is increasingly difficult, with addictive algorithms, live streaming, and open communication with strangers harming our children's development, mental health, and physical health.
“This is why I have supported calls for this ban, to protect our children from the harm inflicted by unregulated and unsafe social media use.
“Functions such as livestreaming, stranger communication, and 'romantic companion' chatbots will no longer accessible to under-16s.
“Social media should not over-shadow our children's lives, shaping their choices or exposing them to indecent or inappropriate material.
“As an MP, I have met the parents of children who took their own lives where social media played a crucial role in the decline of their mental health.
“Communicating with parents and friends however, remains crucial to safety and development, which is why there is no intention to include apps such as WhatsApp or Signal.
“There is more consultation to carry out as the finer details of this ban are established but it is hoped that the ban will be in place by Spring 2027.
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When will the restrictions be enforced?
The restrictions, set to be passed by Christmas will be in place by spring next year. The new laws will leave technology firms, rather than children, liable for enforcement action if they fail to comply. The ban is expected to cover platforms like Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X but not messaging services like WhatsApp and Signal.
Other than social media, what other measures will be in place to protect under16s?
Measures to prevent children from chatting with adults on gaming and livestreaming platforms will be in place. The Government is also looking at potential overnight curfews and breaks in infinite scrolling for under-18s, with more details expected next month.
Artificial intelligence (AI) ‘romantic companion’ chatbots designed to simulate sexual relationships with users will have a minimum age of 18, while more general AI tools will have similar functions restricted for children.
What did Sir Keir Starmer say?
He acknowledged some youngsters would try to find their way around a badn but said he would not compromise on the “safety and happiness of our children”.
Sir Keir, who is a father of two teenagers said it was ‘a big moment for our country’.
He said: “We’re giving children their childhoods back.
“This is not something I do lightly, and I will not present it as cost-free, as if social media has brought no benefits to young people, because clearly that is wrong.
“But government is always about choices, and it’s clear to me that a full ban is the right choice.”
He said: “Every parent can see it with their own eyes” that “social media is making children unhappy”.
He said social media was “making it easier for bullies to harass and abuse” children and “could even be harming their mental health – exposing them to content that is dangerous, because that’s what grabs the attention”.