Social media ban for under-16s to come into effect next March, Culture Secretary confirms
A ban on social media for under-16s will come into force from next March, the culture secretary has announced.
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Lisa Nandy revealed the date of the ban during an event at Labour Conference in Liverpool on Sunday.
Until now, an exact date the ban would be impose had not been announced and ministers said it would come into effect in spring next year.
TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube and Instagram are among the apps included in the ban.
A consultation, which was conducted this year and had more than 116,000 participants, revealed that 85% of parents believe the risk of social media outweigh any benefits.
Sir Keir Starmer announced the ban in June, calling it a "big moment for our country".
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In a statement, the former PM vowed to "call time on a system that's failing our kids and take bold action to give every child the best possible start in life".
However, some are still concerned that children could get around the ban and still be at risk.
Back in December, Australia became the first country in the world to introduce a similar ban last year.
The UK ban is likely to build on the age-checking systems already used under the Online Safety Act, which is regulated by Ofcom.
Those existing rules are designed to stop under-18s accessing pornography and other harmful material, using what the law describes as “highly effective age assurance”.
That can include methods such as facial age estimation, bank details, email-based age checks and, in some cases, digital ID.
Ofcom is now expected to carry out a rapid study into how age verification should work under the new rules, with an assessment due by October.
The government says it wants to make it much harder for children to get around the restrictions, after Australia’s online safety regulator said many under-16s there had still managed to keep accounts, open new ones or bypass checks.
Exactly how the system will work is likely to be one of the most contentious parts of the policy.
The mother of a schoolboy who died after attempting an online challenge told LBC she welcomed the social media ban but said bereaved parents need more clarity on how it will work.
Ellen Roome's son Jools Sweeney, aged 14, died while doing an online "blackout" challenge he had first seen on TikTok at their home in Cheltenham in April 2022.
Ms Roome has since campaigned alongside other bereaved parents for social media restrictions to make the internet a safer place for teenagers.
The mother will be travelling to Westminster this afternoon to hear a debate by MPs, said she was hopeful the ban would have the desired effects.
She told Nick Ferrari at Breakfast: "I'm delighted with his speech, it was very passionate and informative."