The UK prime minister Keir Starmer has announced plans to ban 16-years-olds and younger from accessing social media platforms like X and Instagram. He’s also revealed the government is planning to introduce a similar ban for as yet undisclosed streaming websites.
This social media ban, which Starmer hopes to pass legislation on before the end of this year, is planned to go into effect in spring 2027.
The list of confirmed impacted websites includes TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter / X, Snapchat, and Instagram. Neither Starmer, nor his government, have explained which streaming platforms they have their sights set on. At the same time, messaging apps like WhatsApp and Signal are explicitly noted as not under consideration for the ban.
A post on the official government website elaborates on the livestream ban, but it’s mostly vague about details and raises more questions than answers. “In a move to protect children online and address the scale of the challenge, the government will also go further than a blanket ban on social media with world-leading blocks on harmful functions such as livestreaming and stranger communication with children for under-16s,” the statement reads. “These restrictions – which together with the ban go further than any other country – will apply to a wider range of online services, including on gaming sites.”
“Parents want to keep their kids safe and happy, but the online world has made that harder than ever,” said Starmer. “I’ve heard first hand from families crying out for change and we will do right by them. That’s why we’re going further than any country in the world by banning social media for under-16s and putting wider protections in place to give kids their childhood back.”
Which gaming sites are likely to be impacted by this? One assumes Twitch, YouTube, and Kick. Will Discord, perhaps the largest communication app available also be affected? And what about this gaming website? You can make an account and communicate with strangers in the comments of this article.
Games also allow players to communicate with strangers – you can boot up RuneScape, Arc Raiders, and thousands of other games right now and talk to people you don’t know there. Will the UK force developers of online games to implement these blocks?
This ban quite clearly follows the trend established by Austria, which implemented a similar ban in December, but which faced fierce pushback from younger people there. But as we see an increasing number of countries take up such measures, the impact on the gaming industry becomes a bigger question. After all, social media and streaming is largely how gaming companies advertise to younger audiences.
