Wen social media ban for UK go start and which apps e go affect?

UK govment don announce say dem go ban social media for children wey dey under the age of 16, for early 2027.

Di govment still dey consider ova night curfew and measure to stop dem from scrolling too for under-18s.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer tok say to keep pikin dem from social media na di best way to protect dem online.

Di social media platforms dem go ban for under-16s?

Di ban go affect platforms like Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X, di government tok.

Dem neva release di complete list of platforms wey dem go ban.

However, di govment tok say e go cover dose "wey dey help pipo interact and allow users to post materials.

Features including livestreaming and strangers wey dem fit use contact children go dey restricted.

Di govment tok say dem no plan to put messaging services like WhatsApp and Signal for di social media ban.

Dem also tok say YouTube Kids - di version of di video-sharing app wey dey designed to dey safe for children, wit parental controls - no go dey included.

Most social media platforms don already require children suppose dey ova 13 to create account and use dia services.

Wetin be di measures wey dem plan for under-18s?

Di govment tok say for di "high risk" functions like livestreaming and chat wit strangers, dem go put restriction by default for pikin wey dey below 17 "to prevent cliff-edge at 16."

Dem tok say dem dey also look into ov anight curfew and breaks for endless scrolling for under-18s, more details go come out for July.

AI "romantic companion" chatbots wey dem design to simulate sexual relationship or role play wit users, go make sure na minimum of age 18 fit use am.

Dem go widely restrict AI chatbots to "intimate functionalities" for under-18, di govment tok.

Wen dem go introduce social media ban?

Di prime minister tok say di govment plan to pass regulations bifor Christmas.

Dis go allow dem to bring di ban by spring 2027.

Di announcement follow public consultation wey receive ova 116,000 responses.

How dem go enforce am?

Di govment tok say dem go use "highly effective age assurance" measure to check di age of pipo wey dey use social media.

Dis go require companies make dem use tech wey go fit accurately estimate or verify pesin age – such as face scan or asking for ID.

Dem don ask di Ofcom regulator make dem carry out quick study to identify di best way to verify if pesin don pass 16 years.

Some platforms, including porn sites, already dey required to carry out dis checks. Ofcom don fine many platforms wey no comply.

But some pipo don raise concerns about tools such as virtual private network (VPNs) wey dem fit use around dis measures.

How families and children react?

Among pipo wey don tok say make dem ban social media for pipo wey dey under 16 na parents wey don lose dia pikin.

Mariano Janin, wey her daughter Mia die wen she bin dey age 14 becos she be victim of cyber-bullying, tok say dis news don make am "speechless".

"I tink say dis change dey in di right direction, e no go dey easy, but e go dey possible," im tok.

Lisa Kenevan, wey believe say her son Issac die wen e dey 13 afta im join one viral trend, tell BBC Breakfast say while parents want dis ban "from a long time", dis announcement mean say "we dey for betta place now".

However, bifor di announce, Ian Russell - wey im pikin Molly take her own life at di age of 14 afta she see bad content online - accuse di govment say dem dey rush restriction for political reasons. E tok say "sledgehammer technique like bans" go just dey cause more wahala.

Some teenagers don show dia concern about how social media ban go affect dia ability to connect wit friends and express demselves.

George age 14, tell BBC Radio 4's Today programme say e feel say pipo wey dey im age suppose dey able to make dia own choices "we don pass people dey tell us wetin to do".

Lilly, 15, from Cumbria, tok say apps like TikTok dey allow her to "communicate more", for example e dey allow her to post videos of her performing.

Wetin social media firms don tok about di ban?

Facebook and Instagram wey Meta be di owner tok di ban no fit acheive di goal to protect young teenagers safe online.

" As we don see for Australia, ban fit isolate teenagers from online communities and information, driving dem to unregulated alternatives wey lack built-in protection and parental controls," e tok.

Restrictions go dey "underpinned by age verification system on devices", so dem no go ask pipo to "hand ova ID to dozens of individual services", Meta tok.

YouTube tok say e get "vital resource for young pipo" and di ban fit risk pushing children towards "anonymous, less safe services".

Snapchat tok say majority of time on dia platform na private messaging betwin friends and family and di ban " fit simply push dem to less safe platforms".

Wetin be Australia social media ban and wetin oda kontris don do?

Australia don bring law wey go ban social media for pikin dem since December 2025. UK govment tok say dem go follow dis model.

Popular sites for Australia now get rule wey no go allow pikin set up new accounts. Any profile wey pikin under 16 get, dem deactivate am.

Australia rule dey applied to10 platforms: Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X, YouTube, Reddit and streaming platforms Kick and Twitch.

Dis no include gaming platforms like Discord and Roblox dey criticised by some.

More dan six months, e still dey hard to implement di policy.

One student tell BBC News say for her grade wey get more dan 170 students, only three dem don kick out from social media.

And, 70% of parents don tell Australia internet regulator say dia children still dey on dis platforms.

No fine don drop yet, but di eSafety Commission dey investigate how Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube fit comply to di law.

According to di Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 25 kontris don get social media age restrictions in force, enacted, or under active consideration.

For Spain and Portugal, politicians don announce plan and partly vote for di rules. Dis bans fit come into force dis year.

Governments for France, Malaysia, Denmark, Indonesia, Norway and Canada dey in di process to bring ban.

Dem don pass law for several US states but dem dey challenge am for court.