UK seeks public consultation on under-16 social media ban

The UK government has launched a public consultation on whether to ban social media use for children under 16, inviting young people, parents and guardians to submit their views before a final decision is made, BBC reported.

The debate has intensified following Australia’s move last year to bar children under 16 from several major platforms. The Australian ban covers services including Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube and TikTok.

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

In addition to seeking views on a potential outright ban, the government is asking for feedback on other measures. These include whether platforms should be required to disable features such as infinite scrolling and autoplay, whether mandatory overnight curfews could improve children’s sleep, whether children should have unrestricted access to AI chatbots, and how age verification rules could be strengthened.

The government said it will also conduct pilot schemes to test some of the proposed measures to gather “real-world evidence” of their effectiveness.

“The path to a good life is a great childhood, one full of love, learning and play. That applies just as much to the online world as it does to the real one,” Kendall said.

“We know parents everywhere are grappling with how much screen time their children should have, when they should give them a phone, what they are seeing online, and the impact all of this is having.

“This is why we're asking children and parents to take part in this landmark consultation,” she said.

The government said “everyone with a view” is invited to respond, including parents, carers, young people, those who work with children, civil society groups, academics and industry representatives. Separate versions of the consultation have been prepared for young people and for parents and carers.

An academic panel will also review existing research, including evidence from Australia’s recent experience.

The consultation will close on 26 May, with the government expected to respond in the summer.

Australia became the first country to introduce a nationwide social media ban for under-16s in December. In February, Spain said it intends to introduce a similar policy.

In the UK, the proposal has divided opinion. Some experts and children’s charities have cautioned against a ban, while the House of Lords has voted in favour of a full ban for under-16s.

More than 60 Labour MPs have joined members of the Conservative Party and Liberal Democrats in backing the policy, the BBC reported.