Consultation: UK’s proposal to ban social media for under 16s

In February 2026, Australia became the first country to ban social media for under 16s.

The UK Government has now launched a consultation aimed at strengthening children’s well-being online, focusing on promoting healthier use of mobile phones and social media. This follows an amendment to the Children’s Well-being and Schools Bill, debated in the House of Lords in January 2026, which seeks to ban social media use for under 16s. What follows is a three-month consultation process to examine children’s social media use.

Proposals include making schools phone-free by default, with Ofsted inspections checking compliance; issuing screen time guidance for parents; and considering measures such as raising the digital age of consent and restrictions on potentially addictive design features.

Some concerns were raised in the House of Lords, which have also been highlighted by organisations such as the NSPCC. Although it is widely agreed that young people can be exposed to harmful online content, a blanket ban on under 16s accessing social media platforms may not be the most effective solution. There are arguments that keeping children safe online is a far more complex safeguarding problem that involves technology companies failing to act responsibly.

The consultation will gather views from parents, young people, and experts before a summer response, building on existing protections under the Online Safety Act and wider reforms to education, digital literacy, and child safety.