‘Very positive’ but ‘people won’t be happy’ with ban

Teenagers react to their impending exile from social media

- NICOLE WOOTTON-CANE

Young people have said banning under-16s from social media is “the right thing to do” but have shared worries about how effective the new laws will be.

Sir Keir Starmer announced sweeping changes to how children access online spaces as he vowed to crack down on what he called a “failing system” during a speech yesterday morning. He said the government is taking action to ban children from most social media platforms, including Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X from as early as spring next year. The prime minister admitted the ban would not be perfect, but said he is “not prepared to compromise on the safety and happiness of our children”.

A recent consultation by the government found that more than six in 10 young people support restrictions on harmful social media features. Meanwhile, nearly three in four (72 per cent) were worried about feeling left out if restrictions came in.