UK Government Moves to Ban Under-16s From Social Media, Livestreaming, and Disappearing Messages

The UK government has announced plans to ban under-16s from social media platforms, livestreaming services, and disappearing messages, according to reporting on 11 June 2026. The announcement caps a year-long policy cycle that included consultations on age restrictions, a 300-household pilot trial, and parliamentary pressure for statutory enforcement. Age verification remains the enforcement bottleneck; the government is exploring device- and network-layer controls as alternatives to platform-side age gates.