Google ‘disappointed’ as Youtube swept into UK social media ban

Monday 29 June 2026 2:47 pm  |  Updated:  Monday 29 June 2026 2:49 pm

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 AM‘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.

#mc_embed_signup { background: #fff; clear: left; font: 14px Helvetica, Arial,sans-serif; width: 100%; max-width: 600px; margin: 20px 0; } #mc-embedded-subscribe-form { margin: 20px 0 !important; } .newsletter-form-flex { display: flex; gap: 0; align-items: center; margin-top: -10px; } .newsletter-form-flex input[type=”email”] { flex: 1; padding: 2px 10px; border: 1px solid rgb(18, 22, 23) !important; border-radius: 12px 0 0 12px !important; } .newsletter-form-flex input[type=”submit”] { padding: 4px 10px !important; margin: 0 !important; background-color: rgb(18, 22, 23) !important; color: rgb(255, 255, 255) !important; border: 1px solid rgb(18, 22, 23) !important; border-radius: 0 12px 12px 0 !important; } .newsletter-banner-content { margin-bottom: 15px; } .newsletter-banner-content h2 { margin: 0 0 10px 0; font-size: 18px; font-weight: 600; } .newsletter-banner-content p { margin: 0 0 10px 0; line-height: 1.5; } .newsletter-banner-content ul, .newsletter-banner-content ol { margin: 0 0 10px 20px; } .newsletter-banner-content a { color: #0073aa; text-decoration: none; } .newsletter-banner-content a:hover { text-decoration: underline; } .newsletter-banner-content img { max-width: 100%; height: auto; margin: 10px 0; } #mc_embed_signup #mce-success-response { color: #0356a5; display: none; margin: 0 0 10px; width: 100%; } #mc_embed_signup div#mce-responses { float: left; top: -1.4em; padding: 0; overflow: hidden; width: 100%; margin: 0; clear: both; }

“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.

Read more Musk brands UK a ‘police state’ as Big Tech rebels against Starmer’s social media ban

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.

Read more Government to take on big tech in bid to boost British news

Share this article

Similarly tagged content: Sections Categories People & Organisations