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  "path": "/opinion/social-media-ban-keir-starmer-turkey-twizzler-christopher-snowdon",
  "publishedAt": "2026-06-15T17:35:43.000Z",
  "site": "https://www.gbnews.com",
  "tags": [
    "Membership",
    "Reform will make two changes to stop the migration-driven exploding benefits bill – Robert Jenrick",
    "The Iran deal isn't perfect but PM's abdication left UK-US relationship on life support – Lee Cohen",
    "PM must act now on social media ban to protect children from avoidable harm  – Dr Helena Ivanov",
    "The GB News Editorial Charter"
  ],
  "textContent": "\n\n\nThis is Keir Starmer's Turkey Twizzler moment. A whole generation never forgave Jamie Oliver for kicking the Bernard Matthews treat out of schools, and this generation of school kids may never forgive Starmer – or Labour – for taking away their Snapchat, YouTube and TikTok.\n\nSurveys of adults show overwhelming support for banning social media for under-16s, but Brits often support bans in opinion polls before changing their minds when the unintended consequences become more obvious.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nMany of those who support a ban do not even think it will work.\n\nA YouGov survey found that 76 per cent of British adults support banning social media for the under-16s, but the same survey found that only 32 per cent think it'll be effective.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nTRENDING\n\nStories\n\nVideos\n\nYour Say\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThe British public loves bans so much that they even support them when they know they won’t work.\n\nPoliticians need to pay less attention to opinion polls and more attention to evidence.\n\nThe evidence shows that it won’t work.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nIn Australia, where a similar policy came into effect in December, research found that at least 60 per cent of 12 to 15-year-olds still have at least one account with a banned social media platform.\n\nThose who are willing to break the law remain connected with their peers.\n\nThose who obey the law risk being isolated.\n\n### LATEST DEVELOPMENTS\n\n\n\n\n  * Reform will make two changes to stop the migration-driven exploding benefits bill – Robert Jenrick\n  * The Iran deal isn't perfect but PM's abdication left UK-US relationship on life support – Lee Cohen\n  * PM must act now on social media ban to protect children from avoidable harm  – Dr Helena Ivanov\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n\nThere are so many ways to get around age verification that the UK is unlikely to see a better success rate.\n\nThere have always been moral panics about how teenagers spend their time – video nasties, Dungeons & Dragons, Mortal Kombat, etc. – but what Labour is proposing goes far beyond banning a film or game.\n\nA whole mode of communication is under threat.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nThe ban will apply to all platforms \"whose purpose is to enable social interaction and which allow users to post material\".\n\nThis is more like banning the printing press than banning Grand Theft Auto.\n\nThere are legitimate concerns about smartphone \"addiction\" and waning attention spans, but there are smarter ways to tackle these problems than by attempting to get teenagers to abandon apps that are almost ubiquitous.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nExisting platforms have plenty of safeguards for parents to use, but these disappear when children log in as adults or use VPNs to access unregulated websites.\n\nAttempts to ban the printing press failed in the 15th century because they were impractical, illiberal and ultimately undesirable.\n\nDeluded politicians still think that they can 'uninvent' the internet, but tech-savvy teens will run rings around boomer legislators any day of the week.\n\nThe social media ban is not going to work, but the kids will never forgive them for trying.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n**Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter**",
  "title": "Kids will never forgive Keir Starmer for his Turkey Twizzler moment"
}