UK considers social media ban for under-16s as Australia sets global trend

The U.K. government is exploring whether to ban social media use for children under 16 — the latest sign of a growing wave of global regulation that could reshape how advertisers reach young audiences today and adult consumers tomorrow.

Following Australia’s landmark ban on social media use for under-16s last month, U.K. Technology Secretary Liz Kendall on Monday unveiled a new set of proposals that will undergo public consultation. These are a potential under-16 ban, restrictions on features like infinite scrolling, as well as curfews to curb excessive use.

The U.K. isn’t alone in exploring a social media ban for minors. France, Spain and Greece are already debating their own approaches, while in the U.S., California is examining state-level restrictions inspired by Australia.

For global advertisers, the question is no longer whether Australia’s example will spread — it’s how broadly and at what speed.

A deeper concern for advertisers looms as well: If an entire generation grows up off-platform, will social media targeting still be as effective once those users become adults?

"It’s about the direction of travel. Social is becoming harder to scale reliably, harder to measure, and riskier to depend on," said Suzanna Chaplin, CEO and Founder at esbconnect.

"Social won’t disappear, but it should move from ‘default spend’ to ‘selective spend’, while budgets diversify into partnerships, podcasts, retail media, and even postal where it makes sense. The future is less about chasing attention in feeds, and more about owning the relationship end-to-end.”

Australia may be just the start

The U.K. consultations come ahead of a parliamentary vote this week on a bill amendment that would ban social media for minors within a year of passing, likely forcing the government’s hand regardless of the consultation outcomes.

Early results from Australia illustrate the scale of impact: Platforms like YouTube, TikTok and Instagram collectively deactivated nearly 4.7 million accounts belonging to under-16s in the first month. Meta alone removed nearly 550,000 accounts.

So far, Australian marketers have reported no dramatic drop in performance. But many told Mediaweek that campaign strategies were already shifting. CTV is particularly well positioned to absorb viewership and ad dollars migrating from YouTube.

Before the ban, an estimated 624,000 14- and 15-year-olds in Australia were active on social media, making logged-in social targeting a central pillar of many youth-focused media plans.

“Being a child should not be about constant judgment from strangers or the pressure to perform for likes. Children need space to grow,” wrote British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Substack. “We will work with experts to identify the most effective measures we can take to do more. As I have been clear, no option is off the table.”