Google ‘disappointed’ as Youtube swept into UK social media ban
Google has said it is “disappointing” that Youtube has been included in the government’s planned ban on social media for under-16s, warning the measures risk cutting children off from one of the internet’s biggest educational resources.
The rebuke forms the firm’s strongest response yet to Keir Starmer’s plans to prohibit children under 16 from using platforms including YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook and X under an Australian-style regime expected to come into force in spring 2027.
While ministers argue the measures will help “give children their childhood back”, Google says YouTube occupies a fundamentally different position to traditional social media because of its role as a learning platform and family streaming service.
Google UK and Ireland managing director Kate Alessi said the company remained committed to working with ministers but questioned the decision to include Youtube alongside conventional social networking sites.
“It is disappointing in some respects,” she told City PM‘s Business as Usual podcast. “Seventy-four per cent of children use Youtube to learn for educational purposes. Fifty per cent of Youtube today is watched in the living room as a streaming platform with families.
“So it’s challenging to think about how this will actually be implemented for a product like YouTube. I do worry that there’s incredible content and value derived from the immense video library we have on the platform, and I think limiting people’s access to all of that rich educational content is challenging.”
The government announced earlier this month that it would go further than any other country by introducing a blanket social media ban for under-16s while also restricting features like direct messaging between children and adults, as well as certain AI chatbot functions.
Ministers are also looking into setting overnight curfews and limits on infinite scrolling for older teenagers.
The proposals follow a consultation that attracted more than 116,000 responses, with ministers saying nine in ten parents backed tougher action.
The government intends to legislate before Christmas, with the first measures expected to take effect in spring 2027.
Tech secretary Liz Kendall has argued that tech companies have had “countless opportunities” to improve child safety but failed to act, while Starmer described the package as a “line in the sand” that would put “power back in parents’ hands”.
Youtube criticises ‘one size fits all’ approach
Google has insisted Youtube has spent years building dedicated protections for its younger audience, including Youtube kids, supervised accounts, parental controls and age-appropriate experiences for teens.
“We’ve been deeply committed to making sure we create a safe experience for children on our platforms, and that has been core to how we’ve built the product for ten years,” Alessi said.
“I’m a parent of three kids. Creating safe experiences for children online is critically important and it’s something we’ve been deeply committed to at Youtube.”
She added that Google was still awaiting the finer details of the legislation before reaching firm conclusions: “We’re waiting to see what the government’s policy is. They’ve given the high-level message around this and we’re waiting to see how it actually rolls out.”
The inclusion of YouTube has emerged as one of the most contentious aspects of the government’s plans.
While ministers argue the platform’s recommendation algorithms and social features justify its inclusion, critics have questioned whether it should be treated in the same category as apps primarily designed around social networking.
The debate comes as regulators continue to scrutinise major online platforms. Ofcom criticised Youtube and Tiktok last month for failing to commit to significant new measures to reduce harmful content being recommended to children, saying their algorithmic feeds were still “not safe enough”.
The regulator also warned that too many underage children continue to access platforms despite existing minimum age requirements.