The UK might be about to ban under-16s from social media. Here’s what that means.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is planning on announcing a crackdown for social media usage for under 16s in the next few days. It follows months of consultation and political hedging, and also follows a similar ban in Australia last year.
There are two options; firstly, a blanket ban, or a version with feature-level restrictions. 9/10 parents in the UK have backed a ban, so none of this should come as a surprise.
How has it gone in Australia? The ban went live in December 2025, and since then nearly 5 million accounts have been removed. While platforms have largely complied, there is open dialogue and posting around workarounds - VPNs, age misrepresentation. Public sentiment seems to be positive, but in reality teenagers who want to use it are finding ways without any real issue.
The concern is that Australia’s ban was (relatively) rushed, and the UK will simply experience the same outcome. The real question isn’t the legislation, but rather how this will actually be enforced. The UK’s Online Safety Act is relatively heavyweight already, and took over 8 years to implement; trying to rush through something this quickly and with this little thought risks achieving little.
As with Australia, there are great intentions; but the reality is likely to fall short of hopes. Elsewhere, the US is encouraging the UK to stand down (I’m sure there are no vested interests there).
What does it mean for marketers? Well, advertising to under-18s in the UK is already well regulated, but obviously any brands that rely on organic reach for youth audiences are going to experience major issues. The key question will be where are these audiences going to go instead.
Less relevantly in terms of society, but relevantly for those of us managing media budgets; there is also the unintended consequence of fines. In Australia at least, platforms are penalised rather than families. But when there are hefty fines, where do these end up? With increased CPMs and CPCs.
That’s it for this week! If you found this interesting, I would hugely appreciate it if you shared with your friends and colleagues.
If you’re feeling particularly generous and enjoyed this edition, I won’t stop you from buying me a coffee. Otherwise, I’ll see you next time 🫶