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Five big questions about the UK's under-16s social media ban
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After the government's announcement on Monday, they know a social media ban is coming for under-16s in the UK.
Key facts
- The messaging app, owned by Facebook-parent Meta, is used by half of all 8-17 year olds, according to Ofcom
- For instance, Ofcom says credit card or email address checks can work at 18, but not at 16
- There are fewer methods available to accurately measure or estimate if someone is 16 or under than if they are 18 or younger, due to differences in ID or data available
- Citing research carried out in partnership with consultancy firm Livity, Google says 95% of UK teens surveyed had said watching videos helps with school work
Summary
However, details on which apps are and are not included, besides those named by the government, and how the measures will extend to gaming sites like Roblox, remain sparse. And many are already asking whether enforcing the ban will mean cracking down on virtual private networks (VPNs), which can disguise someone's location online. Ministers have said they will provide an update on further restrictions like potential curfews, curbing of "addictive" features like infinite scroll and AI chatbots, in July. But here are some of the big unanswered questions about the UK social media ban.