UK bans social media for under-16s – what the new rules actually do – PPC Land

The UK government yesterday announced that social media platforms will be banned from offering services to children under 16, setting a Spring 2027 implementation deadline and introducing a wider set of restrictions on harmful features across online services including gaming sites. The announcement, made on June 15, 2026, by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), marks the most significant step yet in the government’s effort to tighten online rules for children. Platforms named in the plans include Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and X. Messaging services WhatsApp and Signal are explicitly excluded from the ban’s scope. The model behind the ban The government plans to use the same legislative model as Australia, which implemented its own under-16 social media ban on December 10, 2025, covering nine platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X, YouTube, Reddit, and Kick. Australia’s framework makes platforms liable for civil penalties of up to 150,000 penalty units – currently equivalent to approximately $49.5 million – for failing to take “reasonable steps” to enforce the age restriction. According to the UK government’s fact sheet, the proposed ban would capture “user-to-user platforms, whose purpose is to enable social interaction and which allow users to post material, alongside
Read More