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Proposals to ban social media for children

On 15 June 2026, the government announced a ban on social media use by children under the age of 16. The announcement followed a consultation earlier this year on improving children’s relationship with mobile phones and social media. The ban is expected to be in place by early 2027.

Potential online harms for children

Children and young people can be exposed to many types of harmful content and activity online, including on social media.

Some content is illegal, like child sexual abuse images. Other material might not be illegal but can still harm children; for example, the promotion of unhealthy body-image, eating disorders, self-harm and suicide. Or it may not be harmful because it is not age appropriate, for example, pornography, sexual content, nudity, and violent content. There are also risks from activity such as cyberbullying and harassment.

Protecting children and young people from the above types of content and activity is one of the main aims of the Online Safety Act 2023.

Despite much of the 2023 act now being implemented, there are ongoing concerns about children’s online safety, including their use of smartphones and social media.

Statistics published in 2025 by Ofcom, the online safety regulator, found that:

• ownership of mobile phones increases with age group, with 19% of those aged 3 to 5 owning their own mobile phone, increasing to 97% of those aged 13 to 15
• the age group that uses social media most frequently is 13 to 15 (95%), with 96% of this age group having their own social media profile
• 37% of those aged 3 to 5 use social media, with 60% having their own social media profile

Arguments around banning social media for children

Those who support a ban say it would limit children’s exposure to online harms. For example, the Australian Government has said that its ban on social media for the under-16s will protect young Australians from risks that come from “design features that encourage them to spend more time on screens, while also serving up content that can harm their health and wellbeing”. The ban has been in place since 10 December 2025.  A March 2026 compliance update (PDF) from the Australian Government found that “a significant number” of social media accounts of children aged under 16 had been removed, deactivated, or restricted from signing into platforms. However, despite overall reductions in account ownership, a “substantial number” of children aged under 16 retained accounts.

Those who oppose a ban say it could force children into less regulated online spaces where they may be at greater risk. Others have said it could have unintended consequences, such as limiting the ability of marginalised groups to create online communities.

Government consultation on social media use

On 19 January 2026, the government announced a consultation on children's social media use to examine the most effective ways to ensure that children have “healthy online experiences”, building on the 2023 act. 

The consultation - Growing up in the online world – ran from 2 March 2026 to 26 May 2026. It sought views on, among other things, banning social media use by children. The consultation received 116,211 responses.

Government to introduce restrictions on social media use after its consultation

Section 70 of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 adds a new section 214A to the Online Safety Act 2023 that requires the government to introduce regulations imposing some form of age or functionality restrictions for children when using social media.

The government made this concession in response to successive defeats on children’s social media use when the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill was debated in the House of Lords.

Government announces social media ban

On 15 June 2026, the government announced a ban on social media use by children under the age of 16. It intends to use the same model as Australia, although the UK ban will go further by also blocking functions such as livestreaming and communicating with strangers for under-16s. The government is aiming for the ban to be in place by early 2027.

On 15 July 2026, the government announced that default overnight curfews from midnight to 6am would be switched on for 16 and 17-year-olds on social media apps. Features that can keep users scrolling for longer would also be switched off by default. The measures are intended to protect children from facing a ”cliff edge of being exposed to the most addictive features” when they turn 16.