UK to Ban Under-16 Social Media Use in Spring 2027, Exempt YouTube Kids
GOOG•UK government will ban children under 16 from major social media and gaming stranger chat services starting spring 2027, requiring age verification; exemptions include Google's YouTube Kids and Google Classroom. Legislation to be passed by year-end could curtail Alphabet's ad revenue by reducing user engagement on its core platforms.
1. Full Ban on Under-16 Social Media Announced
UK government has announced a full ban on all major social media platforms and gaming stranger chat services for children under 16, with implementation scheduled for spring 2027.
2. Enforcement and Exemptions Details
Legislation due by year-end will mandate age verification technology to enforce the ban, while explicitly exempting services such as YouTube Kids and Google Classroom to allow supervised access and educational use.
3. Potential Financial Impact for Alphabet
The removal of under-16 users from its core platforms could lead to a measurable decline in daily active user counts and ad impressions, potentially weighing on Alphabet's advertising revenue forecasts ahead of the ban's rollout.
