Elon Musk Criticizes UK's Under-16 Social Media Ban as 'Police State'

Elon Musk has escalated his criticism of the UK's planned social media ban for children under 16, responding sharply to French President Emmanuel Macron after the French leader praised the move. After Macron welcomed Britain's decision and wrote on X, "Thanks for joining the movement," Musk replied "Of a government surveillance state." The exchange comes as UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer pushes ahead with plans to block children under 16 from accessing major social media platforms.

Elon Musk calls UK a 'police state'

Reacting to the announcement on X, Elon Musk wrote, "UK is a police state." In a separate post, the billionaire said, "This censorship law is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. The real goal is to enable the UK government to track everyone."

What the UK's social media ban includes

The proposed rules would prevent children under 16 from accessing major social media platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, X and YouTube. The UK government said encrypted messaging services such as WhatsApp and Signal will be exempt so that children can continue communicating with family and friends. The measures would also introduce restrictions on certain online gaming and live-streaming features that allow minors to interact with strangers online.

UK PM Keir Starmer says children need stronger online protection

Announcing the policy, Keir Starmer said the government was acting to protect children from growing online risks. "We are banning social media access for under 16s. These days kids must find their feet in a world where technology intrudes into every area of their life," Starmer said in a post on X. "I just can’t let that go on anymore. So we’re giving children their childhoods back," he added. During a press conference, Starmer compared online interactions with strangers to real-world situations, arguing that parents would not normally allow children to communicate freely with unknown adults.