Computing Internet Social Media How will the UK’s social media ban actually work? Here’s the full list of affected apps — and 5 things you need to know Features By David Nield published 16 June 2026 Key questions answered When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works . Younger kids are going to find themselves locked out of social media (Image credit: natureaddict / Pixabay) Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Following on from Australia banning social media access for under-16s, a ruling which came into force in December 2025 , the UK government has announced its own restrictions for children — and they look set to be even stricter that those put in place by the authorities in Australia. Announced by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the move will “give kids their childhood back” according to Downing Street . “The plans will set a new normal for future generations, kickstarting a cultural shift and driving forward the government’s fight to give every child the best start in life.” These are sweeping regulations and are likely to genuinely transform digital device use for young people — and quite possibly everyone else in the UK too — but there are some big questions remaining about how all of this is actually going to work. Latest Videos From Watch full video here: Here’s what you need to know based on what’s been made official so far. 1. Which apps are affected? (Image credit: Ka Han / Shutterstock) The UK government says it’s still evaluating this, but that it’s going to target “user-to-user platforms, whose purpose is to enable social interaction and which allow users to post material, alongside algorithms”. The qualifying apps that have been mentioned specifically so far are: You may like UK bans social media ban for under-16s — all the latest news live The UK Government’s new social media rules for under-16s are coming soon Nigel Farage says UK’s teen social media ban is ‘unlikely to work’ — but will VPNs really help children get around the restrictions? Snapchat TikTok YouTube Instagram Facebook X However, more apps will likely join that list. Liz Kendall (Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology) recently confirmed that Bluesky will be included , as it’s on the list of apps affected by Australia’s social media ban. Australia’s list of age-restricted apps also contains Reddit, Threads and Twitch. Messaging services, including WhatsApp and Signal, are excluded. There will also be a “narrowly defined list of exemptions” that’s regularly reviewed. Livestreaming for under-16s is also going to be banned, across all platforms. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. For gaming, the official line is that communications with “strangers” will be restricted, but children will still have access to multiplayer online games. AI chatbots are affected as well: bots built to offer companionship will be out of bounds for anyone under the age of 18 (not just 16), while more general-purpose bots like ChatGPT will be limited in terms of “intimate functionalities” for under-18s as well. 2. When will the ban start? Limits on some of these apps will come in next year (Image credit: Kenneth Cheung/via Getty Images) Everything has now been set in motion after the official announcement, but there’s still quite a way to go. The timetable put forward by Downing Street suggests that spring 2027 (so March, April, or May) is when the restrictions will actually come into place. Before that, there’s work to
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