The UK government is considering stricter rules on children’s use of social media, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer warning that young people risk being drawn into “a world of endless scrolling, anxiety and comparison.”
Speaking on Tuesday, Starmer said his Labour government was prepared to take “robust action” and stressed that no option is off the table, including a potential ban on social media for children under a certain age.
The remarks come a day after the government announced it would review whether features such as infinite scrolling, addictive design elements, and the minimum age for accessing platforms should be restricted.
Government Studying Global Models, Including Australia
The UK government said it would examine international evidence on how best to protect children online, including whether a full ban on social media for minors would be effective and enforceable.
Ministers are set to visit Australia, which last month became the first country to ban social media for children under 16, to study how the policy is being implemented and enforced.
While no specific age limit has yet been proposed for Britain, officials confirmed they are exploring restrictions for children “under a certain age”, along with stronger age-verification systems.
‘Children Need Space to Grow,’ Says Starmer
Writing on Substack, Starmer acknowledged that technology can offer huge opportunities for learning and connection, but warned that social media platforms often expose children to constant judgement and pressure.
“Being a child should not be about constant judgement from strangers or the pressure to perform for likes,” he said.
“Children need space to grow. For too many today, it means being pulled into a world of endless scrolling, anxiety and comparison.”
New Screen-Time Guidance for Parents
Starmer also announced that parents will soon receive evidence-based guidance on how much time children aged five to 16 should spend on phones, tablets and computers. Separate advice for under-fives is expected to be published in April.
He reiterated that mobile phones have no place in classrooms, adding that education watchdog Ofsted will ensure school phone bans are properly enforced.
AI-Generated Content Raises Fresh Alarm
Concerns over children’s online safety have intensified amid a surge in AI-generated content, particularly following reports that Elon Musk’s Grok AI chatbot produced non-consensual sexual images, including images of minors.
The controversy has renewed scrutiny in Britain over how children and teenagers use social media, and whether current safeguards are sufficient to protect their mental health and development.
Crackdown on Harmful Content and Addictive Features
Britain has already announced plans to ban AI nudification tools and is working to prevent children from creating, sharing or viewing nude images on their devices.
The government is also considering removing or limiting addictive platform features, such as infinite scrolling, that can drive compulsive social media use.
Under the Online Safety Act, the share of children encountering age checks online has risen to 47 per cent from 30 per cent, while visits to pornography websites have dropped by one-third, according to official data.
However, Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said the legislation was never intended to be the final step.
“These laws were never meant to be the end point,” she said.