UK Government Plans to Ban Social Media for Under-16s

He said keeping children off social media was "the right step for Britain" and the best way to keep them safe online.

The measures will also require platforms to prevent children from being able to livestream across apps, including on gaming platforms.

An exhaustive list of which platforms the ban will apply to has not been released. However it said it would apply to platforms "whose purpose is to enable social interaction and which allow users to post material".

It said there would be restrictions on livestreaming and a block on functions which allow strangers to communicate with children under-16. Restrictions on these functions would also be on by default for under 17s "to prevent a cliff-edge at 16".

It said it was also looking into introducing curfews to stop older teens, aged 16 and 17, scrolling late at night - saying more detail on this would be set out in July.

AI "romantic companion" chatbots, which are designed to simulate sexual relationships or roleplay with users, will have to enforce a minimum age of 18.

AI chatbots more widely will have to restrict "intimate functionalities" for under-18s, the government said.

The government said it did not intend to include messaging services like WhatsApp and Signal in the social media ban.

Most social media platforms already require children to be over 13 to create an account and use their services.

The prime minister said the government plans to pass regulations before Christmas, which would allow the measures to come into place in early 2027.

He said the government had already introduced legislation allowing it to take this kind of action.