Government vows to bring in under-16 social media restrictions by end of year
Source: BBC Technology
Government plans for under‑16 social media restrictions
New measures on social media for under‑16s will be introduced by the end of the year, Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said as the government consultation on the issue draws to a close.
Options under consideration
- A full ban on social‑media access for children, similar to Australia’s approach.
- Other measures such as app curfews and stronger age‑check requirements.
Kendall indicated that a response to the consultation will be published in the summer, with concrete action taken by year‑end.
Consultation process and public input
Since March, the government has been asking parents and children whether measures like app curfews and tighter age checks would improve online safety, and trialled these in some UK homes.
“The question isn’t whether we’re going to act – we will,” Kendall told the BBC.
The consultation closes at the end of Tuesday, and Kendall emphasized the need to hear “all views”.
“We’ve got to get this right, and we’ve got to make it last,” she added.
Potential restrictions
Possible measures include:
- Night‑time curfews for social‑media use.
- Disabling features such as auto‑play and infinite scroll.
- Restrictions on children’s access to AI chatbots.
- Strengthening enforcement of age‑check mechanisms.
Campaigners’ perspectives
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Ellen Roome, whose son Jools died at 14 in 2022, will meet Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer with other bereaved families to urge raising the age of access for harmful platforms to 16.
“Later today, I, and other families who have lost children to social media, will tell the prime minister directly: social media is a product, and like any other faulty product causing the deaths of children, it should be restricted until the companies responsible have fixed it and proven it is safe,” Ellen said.
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Lord Nash, former Conservative education minister, urged the government to fulfil its commitment to introduce age or functionality restrictions for under‑16s.
“The government gave a commitment to Parliament that they would introduce some form of age or functionality restriction on social media for children under 16. Deliver on that commitment fully and in the shortest possible timeframe.”
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Ian Russell, chair of the Molly Rose Foundation, argues for enforcing existing laws rather than “sledgehammer techniques like bans”. An open letter signed by child‑safety charities calls for tech firms to align with the British Board of Film Classification’s age‑rating standards.
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The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges has called for action on young people’s social‑media use, likening its health impact to smoking and urging doctors to routinely check screen time.
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However, there is no consensus in the broader scientific community that screen time overall is harmful to children.
Industry response
Meta, the owner of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, says it wants age verification handled at the device level, which would block under‑age children from downloading certain apps.
Kendall affirmed she will act even if big tech pushes back.
“No one’s going to stop me from doing what I think is right for this country,” she said.
