Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have welcomed the UK’s proposed social media ban for young people under 16, praising the move as an important step towards protecting children online. Following Australia’s landmark under-16 social media ban, the UK is now moving towards introducing similar restrictions from early 2027.
Statement of Support
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex released a statement on Monday backing British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s announcement that children under 16 will be banned from major social media platforms, including TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram. “We welcome the U.K. Government’s announcement of new measures to better protect children online,” the statement read, as per People magazine.
Harry and Meghan, who are parents to Archie, 7, and Lilibet, 5, have long advocated for stronger online safety protections for children through their Archewell Foundation. As part of that work, they launched The Parents Network, an online community and support initiative designed to help parents and families whose children have been harmed or affected by social media.
Emphasis on Real Families
“The stories shared through The Lost Screen Memorial remind us that behind every debate about technology and regulation are real families whose lives have been forever changed,” the couple continued, referring to The Lost Screen Memorial run through their charity. “While measures such as these may help reduce harm, they do not fix the problem at its source. Lasting change requires safer platforms by design, meaningful accountability and a commitment to putting children’s wellbeing ahead of engagement and profit.”
Call for Platform Responsibility
“The burden cannot rest solely on parents and children. It must also be borne by the companies. Until then, every day without meaningful change is another day that children remain exposed to preventable harm. Stronger protections are better than inaction, and today’s announcement is a welcome step forward.”
Broader UK Effort
The proposed changes form part of Britain’s broader effort to strengthen online safety laws and curb the risks social media poses to young people. The government is expected to outline restrictions for children under 16 that could include banning access to certain platforms and limiting features considered highly addictive or harmful to young users.
In recent years, Britain has steadily increased pressure on tech companies, introducing measures that require age verification, changes to algorithms and safeguards designed to prevent children from sharing nude images. However, amid growing concern about the mental health impacts of excessive social media use, Starmer has opted to go further after consulting parents and reviewing evidence from Australia, which introduced its own under-16 social media ban last year.
Australia's Precedent
Australia was the first country to ban social media for children under 16, blocking them in December from platforms including TikTok, Alphabet’s YouTube and Meta’s Instagram and Facebook. Since then, a raft of countries have said they are looking to regulate access to social media amid mounting concerns over the impact on children’s health and safety. — With Reuters
