UK to ban social media for children under 16 starting Monday

Prime Minister Keir Starmer will announce on Monday that children under 16 are barred from major social media apps like TikTok, Instagram, and X. The plan, dubbed "Australia plus," goes beyond international models by also restricting access to strangers on gaming apps and romantic AI chatbots.

To enforce the ban, the government may require face scans for age verification and has given tech giants three months to implement tools that block explicit images on children's devices. Critics, including child safety charities and the U.S. government, argue the measures are a rushed political stunt that could compromise privacy.

Legislation is expected to follow if platforms like Apple and Google do not voluntarily activate these safety features by September.