Big Tech braces as Keir Starmer flirts with Australia-style social media ban
According to reports, Keir Starmer is weighing up an Australia-style ban on social media for under-16s, as ministers reassess how far the UK should go in regulating online platforms for kids.
The prime minister has previously said he was “personally” opposed to a blanket ban, arguing that the focus should be on controlling content instead.
But Downing Street is now “closely monitoring” Australia’s policy, which came into force in December and bars children under 16 from major platforms including Tiktok, Instagram, Snapchat and X.
Under the Aussie law, tech firms face fines of up to £25m if they fail to take responsible steps to ban children from accessing their services.
Discussions have reportedly begun between Starmer and tech secretary Liz Kendall on whether a similar approach could work in Britain.
A government spokesperson said “nothing is off the table”, but stressed that any move would need to be based on “robust evidence”.
Online Safety Act saga continues
The renewed scrutiny comes as Labour grapples with the limits of its recent Online Safety Act, which only came into force this year.
It has already placed sweeping obligations on tech heavyweights to restrict harmful content on their platforms, backed by fines of up to 10 per cent of global revenues.
Health secretary Wes Streeing has urged colleagues to “think much more radically”, arguing that social media has become a breeding ground for bullying and radicalisation.
He also compared children’s access to harmful content with the difficulty of getting into age-restricted films online.
Meanwhile, culture secretary Lisa Nandy has acknowledged the appeal of the ban, but warned that enforceability could be a significant concern.
This view is shared by parts of the tech sector, which fear age bans could drive young users towards a less regulated system.
The debate also carries big commercial implications.
A hard age ban would represent a huge escalation in regulatory risk for social media firms operating in the UK.
It could also increase compliance costs and reshape how platforms design their services.