1. All
2. News
3. Sport
4. Culture
5. Lifestyle

Keir Starmer announces social media ban for children under 16 – what you need to know

• Sir Keir Starmer has officially confirmed his government will ban social media for all children under the age of 16.
• The prime minister announced the measure at a Downing Street press conference, describing it as “a big step, real change for our children and our future.”
• Starmer said the incoming ban will come into force early next year, with the government hoping to pass regulations before Christmas.
• He accepted the ban will not prevent all young people from accessing platforms, adding: “We don’t say, ‘Oh, look, a teenager managed to get a drink somehow, so let’s not bother banning alcohol sales to children’.”
• The announcement follows a government consultation which received over 116,000 responses, with 90 per cent of parents supporting a minimum age of 16 for social media access.