By The Daily Caller (Opinion) | Created at 2026-06-15 15:09:04 | Updated at 2026-06-15 16:58:19
2 hours ago
The United Kingdom, the land of ninnies and nannies, made a good call for once, announcing Monday a social media ban for citizens under 16.
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who was reportedly hesitant to follow in Australia’s footsteps and ban social media for under-16s in 2025, said “a full ban is the right choice” during a press conference at Downing Street. The ban will block Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, X and Facebook, and will also clamp down on livestreaming platforms and other social media tools that allow kids to communicate with strangers. (RELATED: Chilling Video Of Stabbing Victim Bleeding Out In Handcuffs Shows United Kingdom’s Wretched Decline)
“I want this message to be heard loud and clear. I am not prepared to compromise on the safety and happiness of our children, and that is why this ban must happen, and why this ban will happen,” he said.
LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 15: Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer (2nd L) speaks with families involved in the consultation process for online restrictions, before holding a press conference to announce government action to protect children online, at Downing Street on June 15, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Carlos Jasso – WPA Pool/Getty Images)
A YouGov poll found that 77% of U.K. parents support an under-16 ban. Additionally, 88% of parents believe social media companies should do more to protect children from the technology’s negative effects, and 76% said the government should take a bigger role, as well.
Starmer has had a brutal few weeks. Despite winning in a landslide in 2024, he is now unpopular among the British people. Labour Party Members of Parliament are revolting against his leadership. And his country is rocked by the case of 18-year-old Henry Nowak, who bled to death in police custody after he was falsely accused of a hate crime by his killer, Vickrum Digwa.
Starmer said earlier in June that the Nowak case was “awful” and “shocking,” and the country needed to “end the cycle of tragedy by tackling the horror of knife crime.” However, he rightfully took flak for failing to mention the elephant in the room: mass migration.
SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND – JUNE 2: People confront riot police as protesters gather near the location where Henry Nowak died during a demonstration over the Police’s handling of the incident, on June 2, 2026 in Southampton, England. Far-right and nationalist groups have actively organised demonstrations and vigils following revelations from the ongoing murder trial of 18-year-old student Henry Nowak. The case involves the fatal stabbing of Nowak in Southampton in December 2025 by Vickrum Digwa. Court details revealed that Digwa falsely claimed to arriving officers that he was the victim of a racist attack, leading responding police to temporarily handcuff the fatally wounded teenager before discovering his injuries. (Photo by Finnbarr Webster/Getty Images)
His decision to ban social media for children is the right move. No one in their right mind believes it’s healthy for a 10-year-old girl to be doomscrolling on TikTok every minute of the day. It’s almost like giving a child cigarettes.
Yet there is certainly a political calculation. The policy appears popular in Britain, and Starmer could desperately use a win. It could also be a middle finger to American CEOs and Big Tech companies. The prime minister and Elon Musk have been duking it out in public over Nowak’s death and a disturbing U.K. grooming and sexual abuse scandal of young girls that involved Pakistani immigrants. This could be Starmer’s way of saying, “Try me, Elon.”
