UK government announces social media ban for those under 16 | Infinium-tech

Today, the UK government has announced that it is going to ban social media use for children under the age of 16. The ban will include Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X, but will not include messaging apps like WhatsApp and Signal.

The UK government will also (somehow) ban “harmful practices” such as live streaming and “stranger communication with children”. These restrictions will apply to a wide range of online services, not just social media – including, for example, gaming sites. These restrictions will apply to those below 17 years of age.

AI “romantic partner” chatbots will be restricted to those under 18, and “similar intimacy functionality” will be banned on any AI chatbots, including generalists.

The first set of rules implementing these restrictions could “take effect” next spring, but it’s unclear how any of them will work. All we know right now is that the government is ordering Ofcom to “rapidly conduct a study into what effective age assurance is to confirm whether a person is over the age of 16”.

The good news is that the Government will ensure Ofcom has the necessary funding to both do this and enforce the ban. Again, the “how” is completely missing, but there’s still plenty of time to get it right before next year.

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