# UK social media ban may lock out 100,000 teenagers

> Ofcom warns that teenagers without passport or driving licence could be excluded when the under-16 ban takes effect next spring.
- Title: UK social media ban may lock out 100,000 teenagers | Shortify
- Summary: Ofcom warns that teenagers without passport or driving licence could be excluded when the under-16 ban takes effect next spring. Ofcom says about 150,000…
- Keywords: social media ban, ofcom, age verification, uk teenagers, instagram, tiktok, youtube, online safety, news, world, social, media
- Source: the Guardian — https://theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/oct/29/id-social-media-ban-snapchat-tiktok-teenagers
- Published: 2026-10-29T13:45:05+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: social media ban, ofcom, age verification, uk teenagers, instagram, tiktok, youtube, online safety, news, world
## The ban arrives next spring
The UK is introducing an Australia-style ban on under-16s accessing social media services including Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. It comes into force next spring.
## 150,000 teenagers lack required ID
Ofcom says about 150,000 British teenagers aged 16 to 17 do not own a passport or driving licence, which are likely needed to access age-restricted platforms under the ban.
## Four age verification methods proposed
Ofcom outlined four highly effective methods: checking official ID against a live selfie, a bank verifying account holder age, an official digital ID service like the Young Scot card, or estimating age via selfie.
## Facial age estimation needs a backstop
Ofcom said facial age estimation could be inaccurate by several years, so a form of official ID would probably be needed as a backstop.This means people without photo ID will likely need to obtain one.

> This means that people without a form of photo ID will likely need to take steps to obtain one to access age-restricted services.
## Australia shows children will evade ban
Ofcom's chief executive Melanie Dawes said motivated children would seek to bypass restrictions, as happened in Australia.

> We should expect that motivated children will seek to bypass the restrictions, just like alcohol laws can't completely eradicate underage drinking.
## Key takeaway

Ofcom says about 150,000 British teenagers aged 16 to 17 lack the ID needed to access social media under the planned under-16 ban coming next spring.