UK to announce ban on ‘high risk’ social media apps:Govt faces threat of judicial review over law restricting access of under-16s to specific platforms

The Keir Starmer administration in the United Kingdom is about to ban high-risk social media apps in the nation for people under 16. Additionally, the government will also announce that safer platforms will be subjected to restrictions. These restrictions will also be imposed on people under the age of 18, who will also be banned from using romantic or sexual AI chatbots after a consultation on keeping children safe online. Ban to be threat to the government News outlet The Guardian claimed that UK PM Starmer could announce the ban on Monday, but the specifics of which apps will be banned by the government will be decided by the ministers on a later date.
While the same report also claimed that the government has been facing threats of judicial review over its decision to specific social media platforms instead of all. However, the government received more than 116,000 responses to the consultation, and nine out of 10 parents expressed support for an under-16 ban. What will the future bill include? According to The Guardian, these measures may include restrictions on “safe” social media apps, which will prevent under-16s from receiving or using disappearing messages, chats with adult strangers, and livestreaming. Previous bans on social media Australia was the first to introduce a new rule that stops anyone under 16 from opening a social-media account, making it the first country in the world to enforce such a restriction. The ban comes under the Online Safety Amendment Bill, which was approved in November 2024. After this, a similar ban was imposed by Malaysia, prohibiting children under the age of 16 from creating social media accounts. Platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube were directed to require and introduce age-verification systems. Companies that violate the rules could face fines of up to $2.5 million (around ₹24 crore). Spain was also one of the countries to join the global push to keep teenagers off social media, which is getting louder, and India is watching closely.