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Written question asked by Gill German (Labour) on Tuesday, 9 June 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 15 June 2026 (named day). It was answered by Kanishka Narayan (Labour) on Tuesday, 16 June 2026 on behalf of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.

Social Media: Children

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of Ofcom's recent findings on TikTok and YouTube; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of those findings on the decision to exempt those platforms from proposed age-based restrictions on children's access to social media.

Answer

Protecting children online is a priority for the Secretary of State and this government. The Online Safety Act provides strong foundations for protecting children across the UK. We have always been clear that we will build on that foundation and published a consultation and national conversation which sought views and evidence from people across the UK on measures that could further protect children online and enhance their wellbeing.

The government published a progress report on the consultation on 15 June, outlining plans to restrict social media services from providing access to under 16s alongside restrictions on functionalities for wider services. Further details will be published in July.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
8434
Session
2026-27
Grouped for answer
Yes
Subjects
Children Exemptions Protection Safety Social media YouTube Age assurance TikTok
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk