UK proposes exemption for platforms that secure under-16 users from upcoming ban

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy announced that the UK will let social-media platforms earn an exemption from a forthcoming ban on users under 16 if they adopt robust safety mechanisms. Addressing a Labour conference session hosted by the Molly Rose Foundation, she said the government will compile a list of apps subject to restrictions but will also assess “safety by design” and feature-level safeguards, offering companies a path to removal from the ban list.

Nandy described the need for the ban as a failure of previous efforts, including the Online Safety Act, and promised more interventionist policies under Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s administration. Legislation to enforce the ban is due by the end of the year, with the restriction expected to take effect in early 2027. The proposal mirrors Canada’s earned-exemption approach and differs from Australia’s total ban on major platforms. Panel experts, including Andy Burrows of the Molly Rose Foundation and Maeve Walsh of the Online Safety Network, discussed annual reviews of exemption criteria and suggested granting the Digital Regulations Cooperation Forum statutory powers to coordinate regulators such as Ofcom and the ICO.