This week, politicians in the UK pushed forward with plans to eviscerate privacy and free speech on the internet by
announcing a ban on social media
for users under 16 that is set to take effect in Spring 2027.
The UK government continues to falsely characterize this policy as a necessary response to growing concerns about online harms for young people. In reality,
much like the Online Safety Act
, it will cause more harm than it will prevent.
Users of all ages are burdened with proving their age before accessing content, with social media platforms such as Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and X included in the ban. There remains
no reliable, privacy-preserving method
of verifying the age of every internet user and
methods vary
from one platform to the next.
Young people will not simply be protected from being contacted by adults or endlessly scrolling—they’ll also lose access to educational videos on YouTube, local events on Facebook, and potentially cut off from distant friends and family.
Public policy must be effective, proportionate and respectful of fundamental rights. Young people deserve better than a policy built on panic, and all internet users deserve a safe and free internet. A social media ban generates headlines, but it will not solve the problem.
A Brief History of Age-Gating in the UK
Age restriction proposals in the UK date back to a decade ago, when the
proposed Digital Economy Bill
was put forth to (among other things) restrict young people from accessing pornographic websites. While the Digital Economy Act of 2017 passed without age-based restrictions, it laid the groundwork for later age verification measures.
Over the next few years, age checks for porn websites were
announced
then delayed
several times
. But it wasn’t until a consultation under the 2016-2019 May government and the 2020 publication of the
Online Harms Whitepaper
that age verification became a broader idea.
In 2023, the UK passed
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