Apple and Google could be forced to carry out age checks on millions of British users under plans being considered by ministers, as Sir Keir Starmer presses ahead with a landmark ban on social media for under-16s.

The Prime Minister unveiled the crackdown on Monday, confirming that children will be barred from platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, Facebook, X and Reddit from early 2027 in what Downing Street described as a bid to “give children back their childhoods”.

But even as ministers celebrated one of the most far-reaching internet safety interventions attempted anywhere in the world, attention quickly shifted to how the plans would be enforced – and government officials are increasingly looking at smartphone operating systems as the answer.

Under proposals being developed in Whitehall, age checks could take place when users first set up a device, rather than every time they create an account on a social media platform.

That would place Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android software at the centre of Britain’s online age-verification system.

“We definitely see a world in which that makes it easier and simpler for users to age assure,” a senior government official said. “It probably won’t always be the only method, but it certainly offers opportunities that we’re really interested in.”

The approach would represent a major shift in responsibility away from social media platforms and towards the operating systems that underpin devices themselves.

Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, has long argued that age checks should happen at the device level.

Apple and Google have resisted, warning about privacy implications and the risks of becoming responsible for storing and distributing age data at scale.

Australia-style ban, and then some

Starmer’s plans are modelled partly on Australia’s social media ban, which came into force last year, but ministers insist Britain will go further.

Alongside blocking under-16s from major social networks, children will be prevented from livestreaming themselves online and from communicating with unknown adults through gaming platforms and social services.

AI chatbots with romantic or sexual features will be restricted to over-18s, while ministers are also considering overnight curfews, restrictions on infinite scrolling and autoplay features, and tighter controls on algorithmic recommendations for older teenagers.

The government hopes legislation will pass before Christmas, allowing the measures to come into force by spring 2027.

Enforcement is expected to rely heavily on age-assurance technology already being deployed under Britain’s Online Safety Act.

Ofcom has been asked to carry out a rapid assessment of what constitutes “highly effective age assurance” and report back later this year.

But privacy campaigners have warned that widespread age verification could create new risks by forcing millions of users to hand over sensitive personal data to third-party providers.

The Open Rights Group said the plans risk creating a situation where it becomes increasingly difficult to access online services without uploading identity documents or biometric information.

Elsewhere, research from Australia has suggested many teenagers have continued accessing social media despite the ban, often by using VPNs, family accounts or inaccurate age declarations.

Tech firms have also pushed back, with Youtube warning that blanket bans risk pushing children towards “anonymous, less-safe services”, while Meta said restrictions could isolate teenagers from online communities and information.