Should social media be banned for under-16s?

Governments worldwide are trying to limit the impact of social media and gaming on children’s mental health and sleep, with parents feeling outpaced by platforms built to maximise the time young users spend online.

Australia introduced a ban on social media for under-16s in December, and other governments, including Britain’s, are weighing similar moves.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said he wants to introduce new powers to protect children, beyond those in an Online Safety Act which is only two-and-a-half years old.

The three-month consultation, starting on Monday, will look at measures ranging from a possible minimum age for social media to bans on addictive design features and overnight curfews for under-16s.

REAL-WORLD PILOTS AND NEW POWERS

“We know parents everywhere are grappling with how much screen time their children should have, when they should give them a phone, what they are seeing online, and the impact all of this is having,” technology minister Liz Kendall said in a statement.

“This is why we’re asking children and parents to take part in this landmark consultation on how young people can thrive in an age of rapid technological change.”

The government said it would run pilots with families and teenagers to examine how potential social media restrictions could work in practice.

It will also study whether children should be able to interact with AI chatbots without limits and how age-verification rules should be strengthened.

Britain is separately preparing stricter rules to require tech companies to remove non-consensual intimate images within 48 hours or face fines of up to 10% of global revenue.

(Reporting by Sam TabahritiEditing by Paul Sandle and Peter Graff)