Starmer moves towards Digital ID controls with youth social media ban
Canada's proposed Safe Social Media Act raises similar concerns over age verification, privacy, and freedom of expression
The U.K. is moving to ban social media for children under 16, in what would be one of the strictest online restrictions in the Western world. Prime Minister Keir Starmer called it a “big moment,” while critics say it reflects a growing trend of governments introducing digital identity protocols.
The U.K. is set to ban kids under 16 from social media, Starmer said, making it the latest country to restrict youth access to these platforms. The move comes just days after Canada introduced its own Social Media Safety Act, legislation that would impose age-verification requirements and create a new Digital Safety Commission.
Britain’s proposed ban would apply to platforms including TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and X. Messaging services such as WhatsApp and Signal would still be permitted, while kid-focused services like YouTube Kids would be excluded.
Starmer said it was a “big moment for our country.”
