The United Kingdom is announcing a near-total ban on social media access for children under 16, Prime Minister Keir Starmer says. Multiple outlets report that the measures would cover major platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, Facebook and X, with the government describing the intent as reducing harm associated with services designed to be addictive. CBS News and other reports say the ban is expected to begin next year, and at least one outlet specifies a spring 2027 start date.

The announcement follows similar restrictions already implemented or announced in other countries, including Australia and Indonesia, and outlets also cite Malaysia and Canada as having comparable approaches. Coverage also notes that the UK plan may extend beyond traditional social media to certain “gaming services,” though details on which services are included are not yet fully specified. The policy is therefore positioned as a broad youth protection measure, while it is expected to raise questions about which online services are affected and how enforcement will work for under-16 users.