The UK's U16 social media ban - and why Telegram isn't on it

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced that from spring 2027, under-16s will be banned from social media apps.

These are defined as being those apps or platforms “whose purpose is to enable social interaction and which allow users to post material”. So this means that apps where the main thing is a feed (algorithmic or not) featuring content from other users are out; messaging apps are expected to tighten up certain features, but won’t be banned.

Starmer has said that the ban will go further than in Australia, and specifics will be outlined over the coming months.

There are some obvious candidates for the ban, such as X, TikTok, Facebook, etc. In terms of messaging apps, what we know is that social platforms where messaging is an auxiliary feature (such Instagram) will be banned. Remarkably, given the extensive negative press and child protection issues raised, Telegram is not expected to be banned.

Pure messaging apps are deemed exempt following consultation with parents who highlighted how these were often essential to family communications. Telegram is technically a messaging app, and so therefore seemingly exempt.

I’ve pulled together a list below of affected platforms, based either on credible news publications or direct citations from the UK Government or ministers in interviews.

Banned for under 16s:

• Facebook

• Instagram

• Reddit

• Snapchat

• Threads

• TikTok

• X

• YouTube (but not YouTube Kids)

• The ban is also expected to stop under-16s from accessing romantic or sexual AI chatbots

Those that won’t be banned (but you might have thought could be):

• Signal

• Telegram

• WhatsApp

• YouTube Kids

Those where it’s unclear (or where I can’t find specific mentions):

• Discord

• Pinterest

• Minecraft

• Roblox is also expected to have some messaging features neutered (and similar gaming sites)

One interesting messaging point I’ve heard numerous times in interviews is that whereas a main criticism of the Australian rollout has been a lack of efficacy, the reality is that even if this reduces use by 70% this will have been a success.

I’m still not sure that this either a) solves the underlying societal harm issues driving this ban, and b) that people won’t find a way anyway. But it’s a take to consider.

I’ll keep on top of this, looking at what implications there are in terms of enforcement and potential platform costs over the coming months. The most curious question for me right now is whether or not VPNs will soon be in the firing line, as they represent the most obvious workaround.

If you want to learn more on this, I listened to a really interesting interview with AI Minister Kanishka Narayan on The News Agents which went further into all of this and the government’s rationale, and where they want to go even further.

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Further Reading

Microsoft Ads is integrating further with LinkedIn, with the ability to target to people based on profile specifics such as seniority.

Meta’s new ‘AI Mode’ on Facebook pulls from public information across its platforms. I can’t see this coming anywhere near the comprehension of other tools, but interesting nonetheless.

Slowly but steadily, Threads has now hit 500 million monthly active users. It still has a long way to go to reach the levels Twitter once had, but I have to say I find myself turning to it more and more. Though perhaps under 16s won’t be for much longer…

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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 🫶