UK government pledges under-16 social media ban by end of 2025

UK Tech Minister Liz Kendall has announced the government will introduce restrictions on social media use for children under 16 by the end of the year. A response to the public consultation will be published in the summer.

The United Kingdom government has committed to introducing social media restrictions for children under the age of 16 before the end of 2025, Tech Minister [Liz Kendall](/politicians/liz-kendall) confirmed in an interview with the BBC.

Kendall stated that the government would publish its formal response to the public consultation on the matter during the summer, laying the groundwork for the new rules. The consultation gathered views from the public, parents, and experts on how best to protect younger users from the potential harms of social media platforms.

The move reflects growing political pressure across Europe and beyond to curb children's access to social networks amid mounting concerns about mental health impacts, online safety, and exposure to harmful content. Several countries, including Australia, have already moved to implement similar age-based restrictions.

The UK government's pledge signals a significant shift in how digital platforms may be required to verify the ages of their users and enforce access controls. Platform operators could face new legal obligations to ensure children under 16 are effectively blocked from creating accounts or accessing certain content.