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U.K. prime minister Keir Starmer announced<\/a> on Monday that his government will impose a ban on social media use for children under 16 years of age. The ban would apply to a range of social media platforms, including Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram,\u00a0Facebook,\u00a0and X.<\/p>\n Messaging services like WhatsApp and Signal will not be included in the ban. There are also going to be limitations on AI tools, as AI \u201cromantic companion\u201d chatbots will have to ensure they are only usable by people over 18.<\/p>\n The U.K. government has said its ban will go further than any other country\u2019s. Starmer said a ban could be in place by next spring. <\/p>\n The U.K. joins a growing number of countries<\/a> looking to safeguard kids online. Australia became the first to impose such a ban late last year, and other countries, including Canada, France, and Denmark, have started developing their own bans.<\/p>\n The sweeping changes are designed to \u201cput power back in parents\u2019 hands and give kids the childhood they deserve,\u201d the British government wrote in a press release<\/a>.<\/p>\n Experts have questioned whether a blanket ban would be effective. Starmer has acknowledged the challenges but said he believes it\u2019s possible to enforce it.<\/p>\n \u201cEvery parent can see it with their own eyes, social media is making children unhappy,\u201d Starmer said during a press conference. \u201cIt\u2019s making it easier for bullies to harass and abuse them, and it could even be harming their mental health, exposing them to content that is dangerous because that\u2019s what grabs the attention. It\u2019s designed to be addictive, of course it is. Features like the infinite scroll, they\u2019re designed to lock you in for hours.\u201d<\/p>\n He went on to argue that social media is taking away from activities that help children develop into adults, such as going to bed on time, reading, playing outside, and more. <\/p>\n The announcement comes as the British government had said earlier this year that it would consult parents, young people, and civil society for their views to determine whether a ban would be effective.\u00a0More than 83% of parents who participated in the consultation<\/a> said that social media\u2019s risks outweigh its benefits. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission<\/a>. This doesn\u2019t affect our editorial independence.<\/em><\/p>\n