Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is reportedly preparing to support a legislative ban preventing children under the age of 16 from accessing social media platforms. This move comes in the wake of a similar policy enacted in Australia and follows a recent pledge by Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch to implement such a ban if her party wins the next election.
The Australian Precedent and UK Political Shift
The proposal has gained significant traction following the success reported by Australia, which introduced its own ban last month. Australian authorities announced this week that more than 4.7 million social media accounts have been blocked since the new rules came into force. This tangible figure has added weight to the argument for similar action in the UK.
Initially proposed by the Conservative opposition, the policy has now found cross-party interest. Reports indicate that Sir Keir Starmer is backing the concept and is open to introducing legislation that would force social media companies to bar under-16s from their platforms.
Expert Opinion: A Mental Health 'Good Start' vs. a 'Data Nightmare'
The potential ban has sparked a vigorous debate among experts. Anxiety specialist Caroline Cavanagh strongly supports the move, linking social media use directly to declining mental health in young people.
"Social media encourages comparison often resulting in the erosion of self-esteem," she stated. "Teenagers' minds are developing rapidly and most have not developed the self esteem or mental resilience to stop content affecting them." She concluded that while not a complete solution, blocking under-16s is a "good start".
HR and training founder Kate Underwood echoed this sentiment, citing alarming statistics on online harm. She referenced ONS data estimating that 847,000 children aged 10–15 experienced online bullying in a year, and Ofcom findings that seven in ten 11 to 17-year-olds encountered harmful content recently.
"We’ve basically chucked kids into the dodgiest pub in town and acted shocked when it gets ugly," she argued, advocating for "real enforcement, not 'tick a box to say you’re 13' theatre."
However, other technology experts have issued a stark warning, labelling the proposed verification systems a potential "data security nightmare". The challenge of reliably verifying age online without collecting excessive personal data remains a significant technical and privacy hurdle.
Implications and the Road Ahead
The discussion now centres on practical implementation. For a ban to be effective, robust age-verification mechanisms would be required, raising serious questions about data collection, privacy, and the ability of platforms to comply. The Australian experience of blocking millions of accounts will be closely studied by UK policymakers as a potential model.
The political momentum suggests that online safety for children is set to be a major policy battleground, with both major parties now advocating for restrictive measures. The outcome will have profound implications for social media companies, parents, and millions of teenagers across the country.
