The ban, which follows legislation in Australia, will apply to Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X, messaging services like WhatsApp and Signal will be exempt.

Prime Minister Starmer said: ‘Parents want to keep their kids safe and happy, but the online world has made that harder than ever. 

‘I've heard first hand from families crying out for change and we will do right by them.  

‘That's why we're going further than any country in the world by banning social media for under-16s and putting wider protections in place to give kids their childhood back. 

‘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.'

Analysis published by IPPR shows the ban is supported by eight in ten people.

Avnee Morjaria, associate director at IPPR, and former teacher, said: 

‘Having spent years teaching in secondary schools, I saw first-hand how childhood has changed. More and more of children's lives are now lived through screens. Previous generations had the freedom to make mistakes, experiment and move on. Today's children are growing up under constant scrutiny, where every insecurity can be amplified and every mistake permanently recorded. 

‘A blanket social media ban for under-16s is the only effective option. Not because technology is inherently bad, but because we are allowing childhood itself to be shaped for the worse by algorithms. Childhood should be defined by real-world experiences, friendships and opportunities to grow, not by an endless competition for attention and approval. The greatest loss of the smartphone age is not privacy; it's childhood itself.'