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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[–] sunbeam60@feddit.uk 0 points 3 days ago (3 children)

I think there’s a rational argument for saying anonymous social media is what Russia, China and other dictatorships use to undermine and affect public opinion, to be fair.

I’m not saying therefore anonymity shouldn’t be allowed. I’m just saying there’s a nuance here…

[–] FlyingCircus@lemmy.world 2 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Homegrown capitalists and the states they control are far more profligate and effective at social media manipulation than either Russia or China. Don’t forget that it was Facebook and Cambridge Analytica that made Brexit happen, not Russia or China. Although I guess you did say dictatorships, so that includes the dictatorship of capital that rules the west.

[–] sunbeam60@feddit.uk 1 points 3 days ago

Myeah, sure, maybe, maybe not. But whatever the source, anonymity does enable well-resourced actors to affect opinion change.

[–] Avicenna@programming.dev 2 points 3 days ago

It will only be deanonymised for UK citizens though (and any other country that applies some sort of ID verification). Any Russian LLM bot can still spread lies in the internet claiming to be from the UK so no problem solved there.

Worst yet, today it is deanonymisation "because think of the children", tomorrow it is putting people who say "Free palestine" in social media to prison.

[–] pressanykeynow@lemmy.world 1 points 3 days ago

anonymous social media is what Russia, China and other dictatorships use to undermine and affect public opinion

You talk from the past. Nowadays bots are less anonymous than real people.