UK under-16 social media ban puts kids platforms in spotlight
Zigazoo founder Zak Ringelstein told Fortune he expects U.S. limits on minors’ social media access to follow the U.K. and Australia.
By Daniel Okafor · Business Editor
3 min read
Britain’s government has announced a ban that would keep children under 16 off TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and X, adding to a growing push by governments to restrict minors’ access to major social media platforms. The move matters for large tech companies, parents and smaller child-focused apps because it points to a sharper regulatory turn on kids’ online safety.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced the measure on June 15, according to Fortune, describing social media as designed to be addictive and linking it to unhappiness among children. Fortune reported that the legislation is expected to go to Parliament before Christmas and take effect in early 2027.
Zak Ringelstein, founder and CEO of the kids social platform Zigazoo, told Fortune he expects similar restrictions to reach the United States. He said under-16 social media bans are spreading internationally and predicted the U.S. would be next.
Australia set the early model
Fortune reported that the U.K. is following Australia, which passed the first national social media ban for minors late last year. France, Spain and more than a dozen other countries have also moved toward tighter rules for children’s access to social platforms, according to Fortune.
In the United States, at least 19 states have passed laws limiting minors’ use of social media, Fortune reported. Eight states have enacted outright bans or parental-consent requirements, according to the publication.
The policy debate remains unsettled. Fortune cited concerns from the Brookings Institution and UNICEF that age bans may raise civil liberties issues and could push children into less regulated online spaces.
Tech companies argue bans are the wrong tool
TikTok told Fortune it shares the goal of safer online experiences for teens and said teen accounts on its platform include more than 50 preset safety and privacy settings, including private accounts. The company said it continues to invest in safety technology and would review the details of government measures.
Meta told Fortune it also supports teen safety and pointed to its Teen Accounts, which limit who can contact young users and what content they see. Meta said bans may isolate teens from online communities and information and could push them to services without built-in protections or parental controls.
Meta also told Fortune that age checks should happen at the device level so people do not have to submit identification to many individual services. YouTube did not respond to Fortune’s request for comment.
Zigazoo pitches a child-focused alternative
Ringelstein launched Zigazoo in 2020 during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, Fortune reported. He said the idea came after seeing that children wanted a way to stay connected with friends while existing social apps were built for adults.
Zigazoo requires users to verify their age, blocks adults from contacting minors and uses an algorithm designed to show age-appropriate content, according to Fortune. Ringelstein described the product to Fortune as a developmentally appropriate walled garden.
The company has more than 12 million users, Fortune reported, far smaller than Instagram and TikTok but backed by prominent investors and partners. Fortune named Serena Ventures, Ciara and Russell Wilson, Wheelhouse, Christina Aguilera’s family and Charlie D’Amelio among its investors, and said partners include the NBA, Major League Baseball, U.S. Soccer, Nintendo, Netflix, DreamWorks, Disney and Apple TV.
Zigazoo’s newest product is live video for young audiences in a moderated and age-verified setting, according to Fortune. Ringelstein told the publication that keeping children safe at scale, especially with AI, is technically difficult.
Fortune also reported that COPPA 2.0, a federal children’s online safety bill, passed the U.S. Senate 92-3 in the final year of the Biden administration but did not pass the House. The current U.S. law governing children’s online activity remains the original COPPA, written in 1998, according to Fortune.
This story draws on original reporting from Fortune.