The Social Media Ban for Under-16s: What Parents of 5 to 10-Year-Olds Need to Know

The social media ban is a government plan to stop under-16s using platforms such as Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X. It is not law yet, and the government expects it to start in spring 2027. For parents of children aged 5 to 10, it is worth understanding now.

If you have read the headlines and felt unsure what they mean for your family, you are not alone. The announcement covered a lot of ground in one go: a ban for under-16s, new rules on strangers contacting children in games, limits on livestreaming, and age limits for some AI chatbots. Much of the detail is still being worked out.

This guide sets out what has been announced, what has not been decided, and what you can do this week. It sticks to what official sources say, and it tells you where they say nothing. When something is a plan and not a rule, we say so.

What Is the Social Media Ban for Under-16s?

The social media ban is a plan to stop social media companies offering their services to anyone under 16. The government announced it on 15 June 2026, and Technology Secretary Liz Kendall set it out in the House of Commons that day. The government says it will use the same model as Australia.

Under the plan, platforms that let users interact socially, post their own material and receive content chosen by algorithms would not be allowed to serve under-16s. GOV.UK names Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X as examples. A narrow set of exemptions covers educational services, e-commerce and music streaming.

Two further measures sit alongside the ban. Under-16s would be stopped from livestreaming themselves on any platform. Communication with strangers would also be banned for under-16s, including in gaming. The government says the stranger measure is meant to stop children being groomed.

Is the Social Media Ban Law Yet?

No. It is an announced plan, and it has to pass through several stages before it applies to anyone.

The House of Commons Library briefing of 9 October 2026 explains the route. The ban would be introduced through regulations made under section 214A of the Online Safety Act 2023. That section was added by the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026. A draft of the regulations must be approved by both Houses of Parliament. The briefing does not say whether the regulations have been laid before Parliament yet.

On timing, Liz Kendall told MPs that her intention was to lay regulations and hold a vote by the end of 2026. GOV.UK says the protections are expected to come into force in spring 2027. Separately, Ofcom is due to deliver a rapid assessment of age assurance methods, the tools used to check how old someone is, by the end of October 2026.

Before the announcement, the government ran a consultation called Growing up in the online world, between 2 March and 26 May 2026. It received 116,211 responses. According to the government’s announcement, 90% of parents supported a ban. The Commons Library briefing adds that two-thirds of young people agreed that under-16s should not be allowed to use at least some social media platforms.

Which Apps Will the Social Media Ban Cover?

The ban is designed to cover platforms whose main purpose is social interaction, which let people post material and use algorithms to choose what they see. The six named examples are Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X.

Messaging services are treated differently. GOV.UK says: “We do not intend for messaging services like WhatsApp and Signal to be included.” If your child uses a messaging app to talk to family, that is not the target of this plan.

The six names are examples, not a final list. The regulations will decide exactly which services count, so it is worth checking the final rules once they are published. For now, the sensible approach is to look at what your own child actually uses, rather than at a list of brand names.

Will the Social Media Ban Affect My 5 to 10-Year-Old?

Probably not in a way you will notice straight away. The ban is aimed at under-16s, and the Commons Library briefing contains no government statement about under-11s or primary-age children specifically.

That does not mean younger children are out of the picture. Ofcom’s Children’s Online Experiences report, published on 21 May 2026, found that 90% of 8 to 12-year-olds had used at least one online service with a minimum age of 13. The report names YouTube, WhatsApp and TikTok as the main ones, so the figure is wider than the apps named in the ban plan. For 8-year-olds, 76% had used one in the previous four weeks. Ofcom’s survey was an online panel, with children recruited through their parents, and the Commons Library briefing says it cannot be certain the sample represents all families.

Ofcom also reports that phone ownership rises from 56% of 10-year-olds to 83% of 11-year-olds. That is the age when many children move to secondary school and often get their first phone.

Put these figures together and a clear picture appears. The ban is a rule for later, but many children meet these platforms well before 16. For a parent of a child aged 5 to 10, the useful message is not to wait for the law. The habits and conversations you build now are the ones that count when your child gets a device of their own.

What Else Is Changing for Children Online?

The announcement of 15 June 2026 went wider than social media. These are the measures published by the government, and each one is still a plan until the rules are in place.

• Livestreaming: under-16s would be stopped from livestreaming themselves on any platform.
• Strangers: communication with strangers would be banned for under-16s, including in gaming.
• AI chatbots: “romantic companion” chatbots would have to enforce a minimum age of 18, and similar intimate features would be restricted for under-18s on AI chatbots more widely.
• Ages 16 and 17: restrictions on livestreaming and stranger contact would be switched on by default.
• Curfews: on 15 July 2026 the government announced default overnight curfews, from midnight to 6am, for 16 and 17-year-olds, with addictive features switched off by default for that age group.

The stranger-contact measure matters most to parents of younger children, because games are where many children first talk to people they do not know. Ofcom’s latest look at children’s media lives found that 72% of children say they game online, and 55% say they interact at least sometimes with people they have only met online. Ofcom’s page does not say which ages these figures cover, so treat them as a general guide and not a count for your child’s age group.

If your child is curious about AI chatbots, our guide on how to teach children to stay safe with AI and chatbots covers the basics in plain language.

What Can Parents Do This Week?

You do not need to wait for the regulations. Three small steps give you a stronger footing whatever the final rules say.

None of these steps depends on a new law. They also work whether your child is 5 or 10. Younger children need more of your presence, and older children need more of your trust, but the pattern is the same: stay close, stay curious, and keep the door open.

If screen time at home is already a battleground, you may find our guide on setting safe screen time boundaries without constant arguments useful before you add a new topic to the pile.

How Do I Talk to My Child About the Social Media Ban?

Keep it short, calm and matched to your child’s age. A news story about a ban can sound frightening if it is told as a warning. Told as a plain fact, it is just information about grown-up rules.

For children aged 5 to 7, one or two sentences are enough. You might say: “Some apps and websites are made for older people. The people who make the rules are working out how to keep children safer on them. If you ever see something that feels wrong or makes you worried, come and tell me or another grown-up you trust. You will never be in trouble for telling.”

For children aged 8 to 10, you can say more and ask for their view. You might say: “The government has said it wants to stop children under 16 using some social media apps. Lots of parents agreed with the idea. What do you think about it? Do you know anyone who uses those apps?” Listen to the answer before you add your own. Children often tell you more when they are asked what they think than when they are told what to do.

Whatever the age, a few ground rules help the conversation go well:

• Choose a relaxed moment, such as a car ride or while you are cooking, and not a moment of conflict.
• Say “I am not cross, I am curious” before you ask about apps they already use.
• Thank your child if they tell you something difficult, even if it is not what you hoped to hear.
• Repeat the message that they can always go to a Safe Adult, and that telling is never the wrong choice.

Our guide on how to talk to your child about screen time without arguments has more phrases you can use at home.

Common Questions Parents Ask

Final Thoughts

The social media ban is a plan with a timetable, not a rule you need to act on this week. What it does give you is a natural reason to start a conversation that many families put off.

You do not need to be an expert on apps. You need to be someone your child feels safe telling. If your child knows they will be listened to, they are far more likely to speak up, whether the rules change or not.

Check GOV.UK for the latest position before you act on any date in this guide.

Sources

• GOV.UK, Social media to be banned for under-16s, 15 June 2026
• GOV.UK, Liz Kendall’s statement on children and social media, 15 June 2026
• House of Commons Library, Proposals to ban social media for children, briefing CBP-10468, 9 October 2026
• Ofcom, Children’s Online Experiences research report, 21 May 2026
• Ofcom, Younger phone owners, the rise of AI, and consumption over creation: our latest look at UK children’s media lives, 21 May 2026