Written question asked by Chris Ward (Labour) on Wednesday, 2 September 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 7 September 2026 (named day). It was answered by Josh MacAlister (Labour) on Thursday, 17 September 2026 on behalf of the Department for Education.

Children: Social Media

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of regulations protecting child influencers and child content producers from exploitation and harm; and what assessment she has made of the potential merits of strengthening legal protections in this area.

Answer: During the passage of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act, the government committed to review The Children (Performance and Activities) (England) Regulations 2014 and will do so in the future. These regulations currently cover public performances and paid sporting and modelling. The review will include careful consideration of which activities should fall in scope and how best to ensure that children can continue to access positive opportunities, while also safeguarding their safety, wellbeing and best interests.

Secondary information