A major public consultation kicks off on Monday, giving young people, parents, and guardians a direct voice in the debate over whether the UK should follow Australia’s lead and ban children under 16 from social media. The move invites submissions from the public ahead of an impending government decision on the controversial proposal.
The conversation around restricting minors’ access to platforms has been supercharged by Australia’s historic decision last year to prohibit children from using apps like Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, and TikTok.
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall emphasized that the consultation is about helping young people “thrive in an age of rapid technological change.” While an outright ban is on the table, the government is also seeking opinions on less dramatic interventions that could protect children without completely cutting them off from the digital world.
Alongside the consultation, the government will run pilot programs to test some of the proposed measures, gathering “real-world evidence” to determine what actually works.
“The path to a good life is a great childhood, one full of love, learning and play,” Kendall said. “That applies just as much to the online world as it does to the real one. 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.”
The initiative aims to spark a nationwide conversation through community events featuring MPs, influencers, and schools. The government has invited “everyone with a view” to participate, including parents, carers, young people, child welfare professionals, academics, civil society groups, and industry leaders. Tailored versions of the consultation have been created specifically for young people and their families to ensure accessibility.
An academic panel has also been tasked with reviewing the growing body of international evidence, including early outcomes from Australia’s ban, which made it the first country in the world to enact such legislation in December. Spain announced in February that it intends to follow suit.
The consultation, which closes on 26 May, will also explore a range of related questions, including:
- Whether platforms should be required to disable addictive features like infinite scrolling and autoplay
- If mandatory overnight curfews would improve children’s sleep
- Whether children should have unrestricted access to AI chatbots
- How age verification enforcement could be strengthened
The government has pledged to respond to the findings “in the summer,” potentially paving the way for historic changes to how young people engage with the online world.
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