UK government begins consultation on social media ban for under-16s

Children and adults are being asked their opinions as part of a public consultation being launched by the UK government on Monday, looking at how best to keep children safe online.

As well as the possibility of a social media ban for under-16s, the government wants to hear views on other ideas too.

They include overnight curfews for social networks and also limiting access to AI chatbots such as ChatGPT.

Young people and their parents and guardians are being invited to submit their thoughts over the next three months, ahead of a government decision on the proposals.

It comes after Australia's government brought in a social media ban for under-16s in December last year.

Other European countries such as France, Ireland, Spain and Denmark have also recently announced that they are considering their own national age limits for social media.

Since Australia's ban began, people in the UK have been discussing whether a similar rule should happen here.

Some adults say it could protect children's wellbeing, while others worry it might do more harm than good.

In January, the House of Lords voted in favour of banning under-16s from social media, adding pressure on the UK government to match a similar ban to that in Australia.

The new consultation will gather opinions from young people and adults on how best to keep children safe online across social media, AI chatbots and gaming platforms.

As well as looking at a total ban on social media, the government wants the public's views on other ideas too.

They include whether platforms should be required to switch off certain features such as scrolling and autoplay, whether overnight curfews would help children sleep better and whether children should be able to use AI chatbots without restriction.

Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said the consultation would help establish how young people could "thrive in an age of rapid technological change".

"Together, we will create a digital world that gives young people the childhood they deserve and prepares them for the future," she added.

In the open letter to Sir Keir Starmer in January, 61 MPs argued that a ban could reduce the pressure children feel to be constantly online and said "successive governments" had done "too little to protect young people from... unregulated, addictive social media platforms".

Meanwhile, opposition Conservative party leader Kemi Badenoch has previously said that she would introduce an under-16s ban if her party won the next election.

Separately, another political party, the Liberal Democrats, have said there is "no time to waste in protecting our children from social media giants".

Their education spokeswoman Munira Wilson added that holding a consultation risked "kicking the can down the road yet again."

People who oppose a ban argue that social media is not all bad and that removing it might create new problems. Some say that being online can actually help young people feel supported.

Some organisations, including children's charities NSPCC and Childnet, have argued that a ban would be the "wrong solution".

"Though well-intentioned, blanket bans on social media would fail to deliver the improvement in children's safety and wellbeing that they so urgently need," they recently wrote in a joint statement.

Some opponents also think the ban simply won't work. They argue that many teens would find ways around the rules by using other apps or tools that hide their age.

Labour's Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has previously raised concerns about whether a ban "pushes children to darker, less‑regulated places on the internet," where harmful content might be harder to control.

In December 2025, Australia became the first country in the world to bring in a social media ban for under-16s.

This includes apps such as Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, Facebook, X (Twitter) and Twitch - and stops children under 16 from having their own accounts on the platforms.

The rules apply to social media companies, which can be fined a lot of money if they don't take reasonable steps to check ages and remove under‑16 accounts.

Soon after the rules began, about 4.7 million accounts believed to belong to Australian kids were taken down or restricted.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has previously said that Britain is "watching Australia with interest" to see how their new rules work.

Politicians in a number of European countries, such as France, Ireland, Spain, Denmark and Greece have also said that they are thinking about following the Australian example.

And in Malaysia, in south-east Asia, leaders have said that they plan to ban under-16s from having open social media accounts, with new rules planned for 2026.