London Mayor backs U16 social media ban
June 2, 2026
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has backed a ban that would block under-16s from using social media platforms – a rule that was enforced across Australia at the start of 2026.
Speaking to engineers, founders and investors at the London SXSW festival, he will also warn that the UK needs to tackle the harms children already face online, and also address the growing influence of the manosphere that risks creating a “lost generation of young men”.
“From food to pharmaceuticals, almost every company has to prove that its products are safe before they’re sold. I see no reason why social media firms shouldn’t do the same,” he says. “Until they can prove that their platforms are safe for kids, a ban is the only way to stem the harms we know are happening right now,” and will call for social media platforms to “prioritise people, not just profit.”
The position puts the mayor ahead of Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has promised action on children’s online safety, but has not committed to an outright ban.
The government’s consultation on children’s online experiences closed last week after launching at the beginning of March. It sought views from parents, children and experts on a range of possible measures, including a minimum age for social media, restrictions on addictive features such as infinite scrolling and autoplay, tighter age checks and whether to raise the digital age of consent. It will help ministers decide their next steps under new powers in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026.
Reacting to Khan’s comments, Andy Lulham, Chief Operating Officer at Verifymy, said: “It’s great to see public figures treat online safety as the priority it is, but we should be careful not to rush through measures so quickly that they risk undermining the very safety they set out to preserve. The consultation on a social media ban for under-16s has only just closed, and with Australia acting as a live pilot of such a ban, we must let the evidence speak before action.”
“Whatever the outcome, tighter controls are surely coming to the UK’s online spaces, and technology providers like Verifymy stand ready to enforce that change. The rollout last year of the Online Safety Act has shown that age assurance technology can work effectively, and the UK has resultantly become a global leader in the age verification space,” Lulham added.
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