UK Plans to Ban Kids Under 16 From Social Media

Children under 16 in the United Kingdom will soon be banned from using the biggest social media apps. Starting in March 2027, kids will not be allowed on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat. The UK's media regulator, Ofcom, has been working out how to make the ban happen. However, some experts worry that determined young people will still find ways to get around the rules.

More than 55 million people in the UK use social media every day. The new ban will cover the ten largest platforms. Ofcom is the government agency that oversees media and communications in the UK, and it has been studying how to check whether users are under 16. Getting age checks right is one of the biggest challenges for this plan.

Checking someone's age online is harder than it sounds. Many 16- and 17-year-olds don't have credit cards, driving licences, or passports, which are common ways to prove age. It's also very difficult to guess someone's age just by looking at a photo. Because of this, Ofcom has recommended several stronger methods for social media companies to use.

Ofcom says four methods could be "highly effective" at checking users' ages. These are: photo ID matching, banking checks, digital ID services, and face age estimation technology. Simple options like self-declaration — where users just say how old they are — are not considered reliable enough. Credit card checks and email estimation are only seen as useful for verifying adults over 18.

Many adults will also likely need to confirm their age under the new rules. Ofcom said there would be a "large number of accounts" that social media companies would need to check. It is not yet fully clear how this process will work for grown-ups. Social media firms are expected to receive more detailed guidance once the government's plans go before Parliament.

Ofcom has admitted that it is "inevitable" some children under 16 will still manage to get past the checks. A similar ban was introduced in Australia late last year, but many children there found ways to download banned apps anyway. Ofcom says platforms could lower this risk by making it easier to report accounts that seem to belong to underage users. Technology that estimates a user's age based on their online behaviour could also help.

Ofcom chief executive Dame Melanie Dawes warned that facial recognition tools used for age checks can sometimes be off by several years. This means some users might need to go through a second check to confirm their age. Dame Melanie said the ban "will shape the future of children's lives online," so it is important to get it right. She believes the ban can work if social media companies carry out proper age checks.

The UK's decision follows a wave of similar moves around the world. Australia banned social media for under-16s in December 2024, and countries like Spain, Greece, Portugal, and Denmark have all started looking at raising the age limit for social media use. A public consultation in the UK — one of the biggest national conversations ever — received more than 116,000 responses from parents, children, and experts. The results showed strong support for the ban, with 90 percent of parents in favour and about two-thirds of young people agreeing that children under 16 should not be allowed on at least some platforms.