Starmer plans ban on under-16s using TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat

Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to ban under-16s from major social media platforms including TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat. The move goes beyond existing online safety rules toward hard age limits. The BBC reported the plan on 14 June 2026. No draft bill has been published. Age verification — checking users' age — presents technical and privacy hurdles, as Australia's 2024 ban showed.