UK mulls Australia-style ban on under-16s using social media; parents should plan now
The UK will consider banning young teenagers from social media and is consulting on online safety rules. Ministers will study Australia’s new restrictions as families prepare for possible changes.
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By Torontoer Staff
The British government said it will consider banning young teenagers from social media as part of a review of online safety rules, and that no option is off the table. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the government will look at the age at which children can access social platforms and at potentially restricting addictive app features.
As I have been clear, no option is off the table, including looking at what age children should be able to access social media and whether we need restrictions on things such as addictive features like infinite scrolling or streaks in apps.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Substack
Ministers plan to travel to Australia to study that country’s new rules, which bar children under 16 from major social apps unless platforms implement robust age verification or parental consent systems. The government has opened a consultation and expects to publish a response by this summer.
What Australia’s policy looks like
Australia’s approach requires platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and X to prevent under-16s from accessing standard accounts, or to offer safer, age-appropriate alternatives. The rules rely on a combination of age verification, parental controls and platform design changes to limit exposure to unmoderated content and features that encourage extended use.
How a UK rule could affect families
A UK ban or strict age limits would change how teenagers sign up for apps and how parents manage devices. Platforms might add stronger age checks, demand verified parental consent, or offer different interfaces for younger users. Enforcement will shape what day-to-day life looks like for families, from what apps teens use to how schools address online communication.
Arguments on both sides
Supporters say stricter rules could reduce young people’s exposure to harmful content, lower compulsive use, and give parents more control. Critics warn that bans are hard to enforce, could push teens toward unregulated platforms, and do not replace digital education and parental engagement.
Successive governments have done far too little to protect young people from the consequences of unregulated, addictive social media platforms.
More than 60 Labour MPs
What could change for apps and schools
- Platforms may introduce reliable age verification or parental approval systems.
- Design features that encourage prolonged use, such as infinite scroll or streaks, could be limited for younger accounts.
- Schools and youth organisations may update digital policies and consent forms.
- Young people could shift toward messaging apps or smaller, less moderated services.
Practical steps parents can take now
- Talk to your child about what they do online and who they interact with, keeping conversations neutral and fact based.
- Use device and app settings to set time limits, restrict content and manage privacy controls.
- Turn off or limit features that promote endless scrolling, such as autoplay or recommendation feeds.
- Model balanced screen habits and agree on family rules around device-free times and places.
- Encourage offline activities and social interaction to reduce reliance on digital validation.
- Teach critical thinking about content, including recognising advertising, misinformation and risky challenges.
- Keep up to date on the platforms your child uses and how they change over time.
Timeline and what to watch
The UK government has said it will respond to the public consultation by this summer. Ministers’ fact-finding trip to Australia will help shape any proposals, but no final decision has been announced. Families should expect further consultation and potential phased implementation if ministers pursue statutory rules.
A change in law would not be an instant fix for online harms, but it would force platforms and parents to adopt different practices. In the meantime, parents can reduce short-term risks by using the controls already available and by talking openly with their children about how they use social media.
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