this post was submitted on 15 Jun 2026
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UK: Under-16s to be banned from social media, Starmer announces (www.bbc.co.uk)
submitted 5 days ago by Tarambor@lemmy.world to c/technology@lemmy.world
310 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

Under-16s will be banned from using social media, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced.

Starmer says social media is making children unhappy, making it easier for bullies to abuse children, and is "designed to be addictive". A ban would give children more time, security, and more freedom to grow up - as well as more opportunities, he adds.

"That is all any parent wants. They want to know that Britain will be better for their children, that they will get a fair chance," the PM says in a speech in Downing Street.

Starmer adds that the government is "not prepared to compromise" on the safety and happiness of children - and that includes in the regulation and enforcement of this ban. He says the government has listened to and learned from countries like Australia, where a similar ban has already been introduced.

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[–] LordDaveTheKind@piefed.social 1 points 4 days ago

This is the internet, an international place. Everyone’s informed opinion is valuable here, regardless of country.

Possibly, but I have enough time spent on the internet to smell the malicious intent if someone anywhere else in the world makes some negative remarks against decisions taken by a sovereign country or their society.

But Youtube Kids fucks over everyone, even those who are not a kid. Google’s Youtube for example automatically deletes the comment section if it even remotely thinks your video is aimed at children. So content creators instead have to get creative and insert unneccessary violence/gore (like Cas van de Pol does), to avoid this.

And having a good rigorous way to restrict adult-only content at account master data level could be a good technical solution.

If your kids go to peers to have social media access, then why don’t you host gatherings for the kids and friends that are social media-free? You know, the ones that existed before internet?

It can also be enforced differently. On schools, there are social media bans that work without infringing privacy.

Guess how they figured it out? They simply confiscated mobile phones until school was over.

I have already said what I think about this, and I quote that I agree with anyone who says that kids should be guided and assisted on social media in the right environments, or in a way to find the right spaces to express themselves (with hobbies, sports, group activities, whatever), and I’ll vote for anyone who could do anything on that purpose. But we can also imagine flying cars at this point.