UK Plans to Ban Social Media for Kids Under 16
The government wants to follow Australia's lead in keeping young children off popular apps like TikTok and Instagram.
The UK government is planning to ban social media for children under 16 years old. This means kids won't be allowed to use apps like TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Snapchat. The government wants to protect young people from harmful content online. They plan to announce this new rule next week.
The UK is copying Australia, which made a similar law in December. But the UK plans to go even further than Australia did. They want to include chatbots in the ban and create a curfew for older teens. This would stop teenagers from scrolling on their phones late at night.
The government asked people what they thought about this idea. More than 116,000 people replied to their survey. This made it the second-biggest government survey in UK history. About 90% of parents who answered supported the age limit of 16.
Many people think the ban will help families and schools. Three out of four people said families would fight less about social media. Teachers said it would be easier to manage student behavior. Almost 90% of people believe fewer children would see harmful content online.
Previous generations had the freedom to make mistakes, experiment and move on.
Comprehension quiz preview
1. What age limit does the UK government want to set for social media?
2. Which country is the UK copying with this social media ban?
3. How many people responded to the government's survey about social media?