What next for under-16s as the UK government moves to ban social media and harmful functions by next Spring?
This announcement marks one of the most significant interventions in the history of social media regulation, but the story is far bigger than an age limit alone.
With the dust barely settled on the UK government’s consultation on teen social media age limits, which we at Raise participated in, it has now been formally announced by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer that the minimum age for social media use will be raised from 13 to 16 by spring 2027, and harmful functions such as live streaming will be banned across all apps.
This decision has the best of intentions, and lofty ambitions. Made in a televised address by the Prime Minister, he said that “a full ban is the right choice,” and that he is “not prepared to compromise on the safety and happiness of our children.” Who could argue?
But two key issues remain. First, in Australia, where a similar ban was implemented six months ago, little has changed, according to reports, with age limits easy to bypass. Additionally, if prevented from using their favourite apps, under-16s will go elsewhere online to connect, where it cannot be said to be safer.
Raise research
Our research and campaigning work Raise over the last three years has shone a vital light on how under-16s really use social media, AI, gaming and messaging apps. It has presented a perspective that is now widely agreed upon, which is that limits of harmful functionality and bans alone will not go far enough to keep young users safe online.
What will be needed in the coming months will be some of the most progressive thinking on this topic so far. Much of the public debate has focused on whether children under 16 should be allowed access to social media platforms at all. Inside the consultation, however, it was clear to see a more nuanced conversation is emerging, from investing in enriching offline experiences, to education campaigns and curfews.
Addictive features
It has been brilliant to see policymakers are increasingly interested in the features that drive addictive behaviour, manipulation, exploitation and unsafe experiences. Live streaming, private messaging environments, recommendation algorithms, anonymous interactions and other high-risk functions featured prominently in discussions around future regulation. Today's announcement reinforces that direction of travel.
The government has moved fast following the closure of its recent social media consultation, which generated over 80,000 responses. It’s clear that parents, campaign groups, educators and legislators want stricter controls on how children use and interact with social media platforms.
But we know from Australia’s experience that it’s not going to change behaviour overnight, as teens will find new, unregulated apps and spaces to chat, share, view and post content.
The issues over whether the social platforms will prohibit content, implement effective age verification technology, remove addictive features such as infinite scrolling, streaks and more, still remain.
It’s important that the government continues to innovate and find the real solutions to these issues to ensure a healthier digital wellbeing for the next generation of children.
To find out more about Raise, visit www.raisegeneration.com or email hello@raisegeneration.com if you want to speak to one of our team.