The White House has urged the UK not to impose a social media ban for under-16s, saying such restrictions could impose a “disproportionate” burden on US tech firms.
In a submission to a government consultation on online safety, the US government came out against “prescribed one-size-fits-all government restrictions” and “blunt regulatory instruments” to address online harms to children.
The notice, published by the US embassy in London, added that age-gating for 13- to 16-year-olds would not work. “Technical methods developed to distinguish minors from adults cannot simply be repurposed for younger thresholds,” it said.
Instead, the Trump administration called on the UK to give parents “robust tools” to manage their children’s privacy settings and account controls, as well as requiring platforms to offer a healthy online experience “rather than outright bans”.
The UK approach to online safety has been a source of tension between the White House and Downing Street, with the Online Safety Act in particular attracting criticism from across the Atlantic because of free speech concerns. JD Vance, the US vice-president, has said free speech in the UK is “in retreat”, while one senior Republican congressman described the act as the “UK’s online censorship law”.
The UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, is expected to announce a ban on “harmful” social media apps next week, alongside a range of restrictive measures, including the possibility of blocks on conversations with strangers on gaming platforms. Limits on AI chatbot use are also under consideration.
It is not known what “harmful” apps will be banned but there are expected to be exemptions for “educational” platforms amid reports that YouTube Kids could be carved out of a ban. In Australia, there is a blanket ban on under-16s accessing social media, meaning popular platforms such as TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat are blocked.
The White House has expressed concern that the UK and EU are taking a legislative and regulatory path that singles out US tech firms. The US embassy notice said: “We have concerns about regulations that impose disproportionate compliance burdens on American companies or that apply to one platform but not similar services.”
The government has promised to move fast on implementing the safety consultation’s findings. “We’ve been clear we are determined to act quickly, but we will do so in a way that is effective, enforceable and genuinely keeps children safe,” a government spokesperson said.
However, it is understood that ministers are mindful of the threat of a judicial review of the process.
Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram – platforms that will be affected by the outcome of the consultation – is already seeking a judicial review of one aspect of the Online Safety Act. It has launched a legal challenge against the UK’s media regulator over the fees and fines regime it is enforcing under the act.
