Overview
- Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced the proposal on Monday, June 15, 2026, and said ministers will bring a bill before Christmas with the ban expected to take effect in early or spring 2027.
- The rules would target major platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, Facebook and X while exempting messaging apps and some educational services.
- Ofcom will be told to define “highly effective” age‑assurance methods, which could include ID or facial‑age checks, and firms that fail to enforce the ban may face multimillion‑dollar fines.
- Critics and tech firms warn the measures raise privacy risks from mass identity checks and will be easy to dodge, citing Australia’s experience where a regulator found roughly 70% of under‑16s still accessed banned services.
- The announcement follows a large public consultation with about 116,000 responses and places the UK in a wider international shift toward stricter child‑safety rules for social platforms.