Labour confirms when 12 million Britons will be banned from using social media

Labour has revealed the date when millions of Britons will be banned from using social media as part of an "online safety" drive. In June, then-Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced an "Australia-style" social media ban for more than 12 million under-16s, insisting the move will "protect children".Those affected will see their access to platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Threads, Facebook, X, YouTube, Snapchat and Reddit blocked. The Government had previously not revealed the date in which the prohibition would come into effect - until now. TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say During an event at the Labour conference in Liverpool on Sunday, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy confirmed the ban will come into force in March next year. The Cabinet minister hailed the measure as an "amazing force for good", insisting it will ensure Britain becomes a "pioneer" in safety online. "I'm determined that we will change the rights of children forever," she added.Ms Nandy also unveiled more details about how the blackout will operate, suggesting social media platforms could earn the right for children to use their platform if they can ensure their safety. She said the Government would assess each social media platform's "safety by design" and a "safety by feature-led approach".The Culture Secretary told attendees: “We’re going to do proper, comprehensive legislation so that it doesn't just incorporate the specific apps, it incorporates the features that we believe are not safe. "So there will be a way for companies, if they want to innovate and they want to change, to be able to get themselves essentially off that list. But that's up to them. We believe that's their choice."They can decide to innovate if they want to, and we believe they should because we think they have their social and moral obligations. "But whether they do it or not, the Government has an obligation here and we intend to act.”SOCIAL MEDIA - READ THE LATEST:Billions lose access to social media as Facebook and Instagram go down in apparent outageBritish officials hauled into US embassy for grilling over Labour's internet crackdownsAndy Burnham set to overtake Nigel Farage as TikTok's most effective politicianMs Nandy said it was a "sign of failure" that children needed to be banned from using social media, blaming tech companies and the Online Safety Act for not cracking down hard enough on the web.In December 2025, Australia's Social Media Minimum Age Act came into force, requiring social media platforms to take "reasonable steps" to prevent under-16s holding accounts.Researchers surveyed 408 Australian 12 to 17-year-olds before the restrictions were introduced and then again three months later.More than 85 per cent of under-16s said they still used social media platforms covered by the legislation, mostly through their own accounts."Little evidence was found of immediate substantive reductions in reported social media use by adolescents under 16 years," the authors wrote.Two-thirds said they underwent age-verification checks, but many children said they simply found ways around them.The announcement of the ban's start date comes just days after Andy Burnham unveiled plans for a new "National Centre for Information Defence" to fight so-called online "disinformation" about the UK.The Prime Minister, addressing the United Nations, announced the centre to improve "community cohesion" and prevent a "distorted and untrue narrative about Britain".He has ordered security chiefs to set up the quango, which will detect, attribute and disrupt "hostile information attacks" and "deepfakes" which hurt British interests.Reform UK leader Nigel Farage likened the new unit to "George Orwell's Ministry of Truth", warning it will be deployed to "clamp down on free speech" in Britain. Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter