Prime Minister Keir Starmer will announce a package of stringent online safety measures on Monday morning, including a ban preventing under-16s from accessing major social media platforms. The announcement comes ahead of his departure to the Group of Seven summit at Évian-les-Bains, France, where questions about UK military spending and recent ministerial departures loom large.
The restrictions extend beyond social platforms to include controls on chatbots and curfews targeting older teenagers, potentially exceeding the scope of similar legislation enacted in Australia last year. Public backing for limiting teen access to social media remains robust, despite scepticism about enforceability. "This is a choice about whose side we're on: families across the country, or a status quo that isn't working," Starmer said in a statement Sunday.
Criticism emerged over the timeline for the policy's development. Ian Russell, father of a teenager who died by suicide in 2017 after encountering harmful online material, warned the BBC that rapid implementation "would be deplorable" if driven by political considerations. Some Labour cabinet members questioned whether the decision to impose a full ban on under-16s was accelerated ahead of Thursday's parliamentary by-election in Makerfield, northwest England.
The Liberal Democrats characterised the approach as "rushing through a half-baked policy just to secure a political legacy." The public consultation on youth protection concluded fewer than three weeks before the announcement, raising concerns among observers about adequate deliberation.
Starmer faces immediate political challenges beyond the social media package. Defence Secretary John Healey, junior defence minister Al Carns and two ministerial aides resigned last week, citing insufficient military funding increases given Russia-related security concerns. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy indicated ongoing efforts to reallocate resources from other departments to strengthen defence spending. "Negotiation is happening as we speak," she told the BBC, suggesting Starmer was exploring additional funding without formally reversing his earlier position.
