For the first time, Britain is seriously discussing removing children under 16 from social media.
Britain is entering a new phase of online regulation, and the message to big tech companies is straightforward: no platform will receive preferential treatment.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced a broad crackdown on illegal online content, particularly AI-generated content, and confirmed the government is considering introducing a minimum age limit for social media use, modeled on Australia.
“The status quo is not enough. We need to protect our children,” the prime minister said, stressing that legislation must keep pace with the speed with which technology evolves.
The measure comes in a wider context.
The government is promising to close the legal loophole that has allowed AI-based chatbots to generate illegal content and to force all providers of such services to fully comply with the provisions of the Online Safety Act.
Adopted in 2023, the law imposes strict obligations on social media platforms, particularly regarding the protection of minors from harmful content. The executive, however, believes that additional measures are needed to strengthen the protection of children.
In parallel, a formal consultation with technology firms will be launched to consider next steps. Among the options being discussed are setting a minimum age limit for access to social media and restricting features deemed harmful, such as endless scrolling of content.
Australia is the first country to introduce a mandatory limit
Australia last December became the first country in the world to introduce a mandatory minimum age of 16 for access to major social platforms. Britain is now considering whether to follow the same path.
If such a measure were to be adopted, platforms would be required to implement effective age verification systems to prevent access by minors under the age of 16.
“Jools’ Law” and public pressure
The government plans to introduce the so-called “Jools’ Law”, a provision that would force social media companies to automatically retain children’s data when they die, to allow families access to relevant information.
The initiative is backed by Ellen Roome, the mother of Jools Sweeney, the 14-year-old who died in 2022. “It’s about truth. It’s about accountability. It’s about holding social media companies accountable,” she said, adding that more needs to be done to prevent tragedies, not just investigate them.
Critics from the opposition
The opposition, however, believes that the announced measures do not go far enough. Shadow Education Secretary Laura Trott accused the government of providing “yet another smokescreen”, claiming the evidence of the harmful effects of social media on under-16s was clear and they should be prevented from accessing it.
She said Britain risked being left behind, while other countries had already started to take strong action.
A game-changing debate
For millions of parents, the subject is no longer abstract. The discussion of a possible 16-year-old limit moves the responsibility from the exclusively family area to the area of national regulation.
The final decision has not yet been made. But for the first time, setting a clear age limit for social media is being formally considered at government level. And the direction is clear: protecting children online is becoming a major political priority in the UK.
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