Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced on Monday that the UK will ban social media for children under the age of 16. The government plans to pass regulations before Christmas to implement the ban in early 2027. The move is intended to protect young people from harmful content and excessive screen time, with Starmer stating that keeping children off social media is the “right step for Britain.” The ban will apply to platforms whose purpose is to enable social interaction and allow users to post material, including Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and X. However, the government stated it does not intend to include messaging services such as WhatsApp and Signal. Also, the ban will require platforms to disable livestreaming and block functions that allow strangers to communicate with children under 16. Restrictions on these functions will also apply by default to those under 17 to prevent a “cliff-edge at 16.” The government is also considering overnight curfews and breaks in infinite scrolling for those under 18, with more details expected in July. The UK’s plan, dubbed “Australia Plus,” follows the model of Australia, which became the first country to bar under-16s from social media accounts last year. While the UK will mirror Australia’s approach, it will include additional curbs. Platforms that fail to take reasonable steps to exclude children under 16 could face multimillion-dollar fines. The government noted that more than 90% of the 116,000 responses received during a public consultation supported the ban. The announcement has drawn various reactions. While some parents and charities praised the ambition of the move, critics and some tech companies expressed concerns that a blanket restriction could push children toward anonymous, less-safe services. Some experts argued that the ban might be a “blunt instrument” that fails to address the underlying societal issues of toxic online behavior. Also, there are concerns regarding the effectiveness of age verification and the potential for the ban to face judicial review due to its rapid rollout. The move may also create tension with the U.S. Government, which has warned against regulations that place heavy burdens on American technology companies.