British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on Monday, June 15, his country's intention to ban the use of social media sites for those under the age of 16, in parallel with the imposition of new and tight regulatory restrictions on electronic gaming platforms and live streaming applications.
In his remarks coupled with the digital regulations, Starmer explained that he is in the process of making radical changes to the laws on social media sites, with the aim of better protecting minors while using the internet.
Reuters quoted the British prime minister as saying: "It is clear to me that a complete ban is the right choice."
He added that while implementing and verifying this decision will not be easy, the government has the full capacity and sovereignty to counter the power and influence of Big Tech companies and bind them to the new legal standards.
Britain continues to tighten up to counter platform algorithms
The decision reflects Britain's increasingly tightening of its approach to tech companies over the past few years, with the government urging and forcing them through legal tools to impose strict measures to verify users' real ages and reset child-oriented algorithms.
Recent UK measures have also included forcing companies to ban minors from trading or sharing explicit and sensitive images taken on mobile phones, paving the way for new legislation that raises protections to the level of a blanket ban on under-16s.
Australia opens the door as several countries seek to catch up with the ban
The UK follows in the footsteps of Australia, which was the first country in the world to pass a formal and comprehensive ban on social media for those under the age of 16.
Last December, Australia legislatively banned minors from using major global platforms such as TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook.
Earlier this year, the French parliament passed a bill banning the use of social media by those under the age of 15, a move that President Emmanuel Macron hailed as a way to protect children from spending too much time in front of screens.
Following Australia's move, a group of countries announced their intention to seek to regulate and regulate access to social media, in response to growing concerns shared by the international community about the repercussions of these platforms on the health, safety and future of minors in cyberspace.