Story perspectives

UK to Ban Under-16 Social Media After 80k Submissions.

6/7/2026

Summary

UK Ministers Ban

UK ministers will announce an under-16 social media ban this summer.
The consultation closed after receiving more than 80,000 public submissions.
Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan supports a ban, demanding platforms prove child safety.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer warned tech firms will not get a “free pass”.
National Education Union chief Daniel Kebede called for a statutory ban, noting campaigners have 113,000 petition signatures, 250,000 parent contacts and 500,000 family supporters.

Summary

States Regulate

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker will sign House Bill 5511, which mandates verification and fines up to $7,500 per child after Senate (57-0) and House (113-0) approval.
Minnesota’s law, July 2027, requires parental consent for users 15 and under, bans ads and blocks AI-generated “nudification” images, the first state to ban the technology.
A New Mexico jury fined Meta $375 million for harming children’s mental health and hiding exploitation content, violating state’s youth-social-media law.

Summary

Kids Evade Ban

78% of Australian children under 16 continue to use social-media platforms despite the ban.
Many evade restrictions by using YouTube Kids, Discord, browsers, friends’ accounts, or false birthdates.
Only 31% have face-scanning age verification, and about half say they could still pass as over 16.
77% of parents report more outdoor, reading, sports or creative activities, yet 29% of 13-15-year-olds and over a third of 8-12-year-olds see violent or graphic content.

History

Historical Context

Enacted in 1998 and effective April 21 2000, the U.S. Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) obliges online services to obtain verifiable parental consent for users under 13, with the FTC able to levy penalties of $40,000 per violation. Early enforcement collected $2 million by 2005, establishing a model that today inspires proposals for under-16 age-verification rules worldwide.

1 of 4

UK Ministers Ban

UK ministers will announce an under-16 social media ban this summer.
The consultation closed after receiving more than 80,000 public submissions.
Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan supports a ban, demanding platforms prove child safety.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer warned tech firms will not get a “free pass”.
National Education Union chief Daniel Kebede called for a statutory ban, noting campaigners have 113,000 petition signatures, 250,000 parent contacts and 500,000 family supporters.

1 / 4