this post was submitted on 15 Jun 2026
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Under-16s will be banned from using social media, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced.

Starmer says social media is making children unhappy, making it easier for bullies to abuse children, and is "designed to be addictive". A ban would give children more time, security, and more freedom to grow up - as well as more opportunities, he adds.

"That is all any parent wants. They want to know that Britain will be better for their children, that they will get a fair chance," the PM says in a speech in Downing Street.

Starmer adds that the government is "not prepared to compromise" on the safety and happiness of children - and that includes in the regulation and enforcement of this ban. He says the government has listened to and learned from countries like Australia, where a similar ban has already been introduced.

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[–] Auth@lemmy.world 5 points 2 hours ago

This is based, adults next.

[–] bigmamoth@lemmy.world 1 points 1 hour ago

Really interesting they push for that the day of the report of investigation regarding rape gang and how the gouvernement didn't protect children en even enable harm toward them. Trully disgusting. Really hope they get prosecuted by the next gouvernement

[–] abc@suppo.fi 3 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago)

I fully support the battle against attention-consuming energy vampires but I'm afraid this is probably not going to work practically.

[–] 01189998819991197253@infosec.pub 11 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

Any government that oversteps so much that it thinks its role is as the parent, must be abolished.

Let them eat guns and cigarettes.

[–] Iusedtobeanalien@lemmy.world 11 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

Why stop at 16

Get rid of all of it

We never needed it anyway

[–] Virtvirt588@lemmy.world 10 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

I agree, but on the ageism point. The thing that needs to be done is regulation so that manipulative design is reduced. Its the corporations that are the problem. Bans only target the victims the most.

[–] Soup@lemmy.world 1 points 7 hours ago

Consequences for rich people? Not blaming their victims?!? Who the fuck do you think you are, anyway??

[–] adam_y@lemmy.world 12 points 10 hours ago (2 children)

How do you get an entire population of adults to voluntarily scan their faces and submit them to Palantir?

[–] cheat700000007@lemmy.world 4 points 8 hours ago

By banning them from the Internet

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[–] MartianRecon@lemmus.org 11 points 10 hours ago (4 children)

Social media needs to go away, fully. Not just for kids.

[–] Scrollone@feddit.it 6 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

It should be regulated like gambling

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[–] Paper_Phrog@lemmy.world 3 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

It should become social again. No faking and manipulation at the penalty of criminal punishment.

[–] MartianRecon@lemmus.org 3 points 8 hours ago

It was great when it was a small pod of your close friends sharing stuff together.

But now it's just an algorithm that shows you what you want to see by people pushing products and flat out lying. It's done. It needs to go away.

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[–] me_myself_and_I@lemmy.world 4 points 8 hours ago

RIP Minecraft live lol

[–] LovableSidekick@lemmy.world 5 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

Social media would become a ghost town.

[–] A_Random_Idiot@lemmy.world 14 points 8 hours ago (6 children)

No it wouldnt. It'd be a .001% reduction in users.

If you want social media to become a ghost town, ban bots/AI

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[–] QueenHawlSera@sh.itjust.works 1 points 6 hours ago

Apparently they count Youtube as social media

No more SML for British kids.

[–] mfed1122@discuss.tchncs.de 26 points 14 hours ago (10 children)

It's insane that they'll say it's designed to be addictive, and then just let the company keep doing that. Like maybe go after the entity producing the addictive substance directly then?

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