UK Social Media Ban for Under-16s: Protection or Overreach? - The Hang Jury - The Tech Hangout Ep

The UK just banned social media for anyone under 16. TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, X — all gone by spring. They're even talking about age-gating VPNs to stop kids from working around it. On the surface: win for parents, job done. But here's the problem. Australia did the exact same thing six months ago. A new study out this week found that four in five Australian under-16s are still on social media anyway. So it's not about whether we want to protect kids online — everyone does. The question is whether this actually works. Because if it doesn't, you end up with a national age verification system, a surveillance infrastructure, and teenagers who've just migrated somewhere darker and less regulated. Is the UK making a bold, necessary move to protect a generation? Or is this unenforceable political theatre that punishes everyone and changes nothing? 👇 Tell us where you stand in the comments. #TechNews #SocialMedia #UKTech #Parenting #InternetSafety #TikTokBan #Australia #DigitalLiteracy #HangJury #TechHangout