UK Government Opens Consultation on Under-16 Social Media Ban

The UK government has started a consultation to consider new measures for protecting children online, including a possible ban on social media use for those under 16. The process aims to gather views and test interventions before any decisions are made.

The consultation, launched by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, will run for three months and is set to conclude on 26 May 2026. As part of this process, the government will conduct pilot trials with families and teenagers to assess the impact of various restrictions.

During these pilot trials, approximately 150 participants aged 13 to 15 will experience different levels of digital restrictions. These interventions include full bans from social media, overnight curfews, and daily limits on screen time.

The consultation will also examine additional measures, such as restricting features considered addictive on digital platforms, raising the digital age of consent, and addressing the use of AI chatbots and gaming platforms by minors. The goal is to evaluate a range of options to reduce potential digital harms to young people.

What the numbers show

• The consultation began on 2 March 2026 and will end on 26 May 2026
• About 150 teenagers aged 13-15 will participate in pilot trials
• The House of Lords passed an amendment on 21 January 2026 requiring age assurance within 12 months

In addition to the government’s consultation, recent legislative developments have focused on online safety for children. On 21 January 2026, the House of Lords approved an amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill that would require social media platforms to implement age assurance measures to prevent under-16s from accessing their services within a year.

The same amendment also introduced a provision for VPN providers to put in place age verification systems. This step is intended to prevent minors from bypassing restrictions through the use of virtual private networks.

The consultation is not limited to social media bans. It will also gather evidence and feedback on the effectiveness of other interventions, such as curfews and screen-time limits, to determine which approaches might best support children’s wellbeing online.

Industry reaction

The Royal College of General Practitioners stated that general practitioners are observing serious effects of digital harms on children’s mental health, sleep, neurodevelopment, behaviour, social relationships, and family functioning. The organisation welcomed the consultation as a move toward evidence-based, child-centred action.

* This article is based on publicly available information at the time of writing.