LONDON (AP) — Britain will ban under-16s from using a range of social media apps, its Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Monday, calling it “a big moment for our country.”

Starmer told a news conference that he will fight back if technology companies resist the move, intended to protect children from harmful content and excessive screen time. He said he is “not prepared to compromise on the safety and happiness of our children.”

The move makes the UK part of growing global movement to tighten online safety for children. Australia, Canada, Brazil and Indonesia have introduced legislation or announced age-based restrictions or requirements for children’s access to social media.

France, Spain, Denmark, Thailand and South Korea are among others studying or developing similar approaches.

Starmer said the UK measures “possibly go a bit further” than Australia’s ban, which bars under-16s from holding social media accounts and allows for multimillion-dollar fines for tech firms if they don’t remove them.

The UK said its ban will apply to platforms including Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X, but not messaging services like WhatsApp and Signal.

Starmer said the government will also act to prevent strangers from contacting children on gaming and live-streaming platforms. He said the ban will take effect early next year.

Starmer, elected just under two years ago is under pressure to step down from members of his own party over what they see as poor leadership and could face a leadership challenge in the coming days or weeks. He is seeking to bring in consequential measures that can serve as a legacy.

The prime minister,........

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