LONDON – The breakthrough legislation, which could take effect as early as Spring 2027, will block platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, Facebook, and X from offering services to young teenagers in an effort to curb infinite scrolling and tackle online exploitation.

Private messaging applications like WhatsApp and Signal will be legally exempt from the ban.

Under the proposals, platforms will be blocked from offering services to under-16s, marking what Prime Minister Keir Starmer described as a “line in the sand” and a shift toward a new standard for children’s online safety. The government said the aim is to reduce excessive screen time and increase opportunities for play and offline activities.

The UK plans to adopt an approach similar to Australia, covering platforms that enable user interaction, posting and algorithm-driven content feeds. In addition to the ban, the government will introduce restrictions on harmful features such as livestreaming and stranger messaging for under-16s across a wider range of online services, including gaming platforms.

These protections will also apply by default to 16- and 17-year-olds to avoid a sudden drop-off in safeguards at adulthood. Officials said further measures, including limits on overnight use and infinite scrolling for under-18s, are under consideration and will be detailed later this year.

Prime Minister Starmer said parents had been “crying out for change” and that the government was acting to protect children from online harms.

“This is a line in the sand. Tech giants had their chance and failed, but we’re stepping in to protect children, back parents and set a new normal for future generations,” he said.

Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said the reforms would shift power away from technology companies and toward parents, calling the move a “bold and significant step” toward safer online environments for children.

The reforms will also introduce strict age controls on AI chatbots, including a ban on “romantic companion” systems for users under 18 and tighter restrictions on intimate chatbot functions for minors.

The government said it will adopt stronger age verification standards, drawing lessons from Australia, and has asked the UK communications regulator Ofcom to review enforcement capabilities and publish a strategy for implementation.

The changes follow a nationwide consultation that received more than 116,000 responses from parents, children and experts, with around 90 percent of parents supporting a social media ban for under-16s.

The government said the measures are expected to be introduced through secondary legislation under the Online Safety Act framework, with regulations potentially coming into force in spring 2027.