Britain Mulls Tougher Social Media Rules for Children, Says Starmer
Britain may soon tighten rules on children’s use of social media, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer warning that no option is “off the table.” He said the Labour government is ready to take firm action to protect young users from the harms of excessive online engagement. The announcement follows the government’s pledge to review whether features like infinite scrolling should be limited and whether age restrictions on access to social media platforms should be raised.
Officials said they would study global evidence to assess whether a social media ban for younger users could work and how best to implement it if adopted. As part of this review, ministers will visit Australia, which recently became the first country to prohibit social media access for children under 16.
‘Children Need Space to Grow’
Although the government has not yet set a specific age limit, it is considering restrictions for users “under a certain age” and exploring stronger age verification systems. Writing on Substack, Starmer stressed that while technology offers enormous potential, children must be shielded from its harmful effects.
“Being a child should not be about constant judgement from strangers or the pressure to perform for likes,” he said. “Children need space to grow. For too many today, it means being pulled into a world of endless scrolling, anxiety and comparison.”
The prime minister said parents will soon receive evidence-based advice on recommended screen time for children aged five to sixteen, while separate guidance for under-fives is due in April. He added that mobile phones should have “no place in classrooms,” with Ofsted tasked to ensure schools enforce phone bans effectively.
Tackling AI and Online Safety Risks
Concerns about online exposure have grown following reports that Elon Musk’s Grok AI chatbot generated non-consensual sexual images, including of minors. The incident intensified scrutiny over how artificial intelligence and social media affect children’s safety and wellbeing.
The government is already planning to ban AI nudification tools and prevent minors from taking, sharing or viewing explicit images. It is also reviewing features that promote addictive or compulsive online behaviour, such as infinite scrolling.
Britain’s Online Safety Act has already increased the proportion of children encountering age checks online from 30% to 47%, while visits to pornography websites have fallen by a third. Yet Technology Secretary Liz Kendall emphasised that “these laws were never meant to be the end point.”
with inputs from Reuters
