UK bans social media for kids under 16 — companies should do more!

For years, parents, researchers and child advocates have been sounding the alarm about social media and kids. Now, governments around the world are finally listening.  

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced the United Kingdom will ban social media for children under 16, following Australia’s lead as one of the most aggressive efforts yet to limit young people’s access to platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, YouTube and X.  

Ahead of Monday’s announcement, the U.S. warned the U.K. against using “prescribed one-size-fits-all government restrictions” and “blunt regulatory instruments” in a submission to a U.K. government consultation. When a reporter asked Starmer about the move potentially alienating Trump, he said, “There has always been a recognition that leaders have to take steps to protect children. I don’t think that’s controversial.”  

And the U.K. isn’t alone. Australia moved first; countries like Indonesia and Malaysia have followed. Here in the United States, lawmakers have spent years proposing restrictions, age-verification requirements, parental consent laws, and limits on addictive algorithms aimed at children. But in America, many of those efforts have hit roadblocks in court.  

Tech companies and their trade groups have challenged state laws across the country, arguing that restrictions on their platforms violate First Amendment protections. As a result, several laws designed to protect children have been delayed or blocked before they........

© The Hill