London: The United Kingdom government is considering new restrictions on children’s use of social media, including a possible ban for those under the age of 16, following a similar move taken by Australia.
Ministers say the discussion is driven by growing concerns about the impact of social media on children’s mental health, online safety and exposure to harmful content. The government has launched a public consultation to gather views from parents, teachers, child safety groups and technology companies before taking any final decision.
Under the options being studied, the UK could raise the minimum age for opening social media accounts from 13 to 16. Another proposal would require social media companies to introduce much stricter age verification systems to prevent younger children from accessing platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat.
The government is also looking at limiting features that encourage excessive screen time, including endless scrolling and reward based notifications. Schools may be encouraged to adopt phone free policies during the school day, while parents could receive clearer guidance on managing children’s screen use at home.
The debate has intensified after Australia introduced a nationwide ban on social media use for under 16s. UK officials are closely watching how that law is being enforced and whether it improves child wellbeing without creating new problems around privacy and access to information.
Not everyone supports a full ban. Some lawmakers and digital rights groups argue that education, stronger online safety rules and better parental controls would be more effective than an outright restriction. Technology companies have also raised concerns about how age checks could be enforced without collecting more personal data.
The government says no final decision has been made and any changes would be carefully designed to balance child protection with digital rights. The consultation process is expected to continue in the coming months before any legislation is brought to parliament.