British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced plans to ban children under 16 from accessing major social media platforms and impose restrictions on gaming and livestreaming services.
The proposed changes would take effect early next year and would make the UK the latest country to tighten children's access to social media, following in the footsteps of Australia, Canada, Brazil, and Indonesia.
Starmer argued that the ban is necessary to protect children from harmful digital experiences and said he would push ahead with the proposal even if technology companies oppose it.
YouTube has responded to the proposal, arguing that blanket bans could drive children away from supervised and curated online environments toward "anonymous, less safe services."
