UK Plans Social Media Ban for Under-16s: Kids Online at Risk
The UK may ban social media for under-16s to protect children from harmful content, compulsive use, and online risks, impacting millions of young users.
The government will consult on whether social media should be banned for children under 16 in the UK.
The government said "immediate action" would give Ofsted the power to check phone use policies when inspecting schools, and following the announcement, schools will be expected to be "phone-free by default".
A similar ban came into effect in Australia in December 2025, the first of its kind in the world. Other countries are reportedly considering similar legislation.
This comes after more than 60 Labour MPs wrote to the Prime Minister on the issue, and the mother of murdered teenager Brianna Ghey also appealed to the government to take action.
"As the parent of a very vulnerable and transgender child, I completely disagree with this.
"In Brianna's case, social media limited her ability to have real-world social interactions." He had real-life friends, but he chose to be online instead."
According to the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, the consultation will "seek views from parents, young people and civil society" to determine the effectiveness of a potential ban.
It will also consider whether stronger age verification measures could be implemented by social media firms, which could be compelled to remove or limit features that "encourage compulsive use of social media."
And Ofsted will issue stricter guidance to schools on reducing phone use – including telling staff not to use their devices for personal reasons in front of students.
The government will respond to the consultation in the summer.
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said the Online Safety Act legislation "was never the final word" and added that she understood "parents still have serious concerns."
She said: "We are determined to ensure that technology enhances children's lives, not harms them – and that every child gets the childhood they deserve."
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has already said her party would ban social media for children under 16 if they came to power.
She said the consultation was "more dither and delay" from the Labour Party.
She added: "The Prime Minister is trying to copy an announcement the Conservative Party made a week ago, and yet he still can't get it right."
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Liberal Democrat education spokesperson Munira Wilson said there was "no time to waste in protecting our children from social media giants" and that "this consultation risks kicking the can down the road yet again."
Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU), described the move as a "welcome change."
He said: "Every day, parents and teachers see how social media shapes children's identities and attention spans long before they sit their GCSEs, leaving them..." "It isolates them, drawing them into an endless loop of content."
The Association of School and College Leaders also welcomed the consultation on social media but said the government had been "slow" to respond to the online risks facing children.
The union's general secretary, Pepe Di'Iasio, said there was "clearly a huge problem with children and young people spending too much time on screens and being exposed to inappropriate content".
And Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, also welcomed the plans to consult on a potential social media ban.
But he said the suggestion that Ofsted should be "policing" phones was "utterly unworkable and misguided" in schools.
He added: "School leaders need support from the government, not the threat of punitive inspections."
'No strong evidence'
This comes as the government faces further pressure from the House of Lords, which is expected to vote on the proposed ban on Wednesday.
The amendment to the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill has received support from several prominent figures, such as former children's TV presenter Baroness Benjamin and former education minister Lord Nash.
There is also a separate amendment calling for the introduction of film-style age ratings that could restrict which social media apps children can access.
Last week, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said she would introduce a ban for under-16s if her party wins the next election.
Professor Amy Orben, who leads the Digital Mental Health Programme at the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit at Cambridge University, there was "broad agreement" that more needed to be done to keep children safe online.
However, she said there was still "no strong evidence" that age-based social media bans are effective.
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Dr. Holly Bear of Oxford University agreed that the effects of social media bans Evidence "is still emerging," he said.
He added, "A balanced approach would be to try to reduce exposure to algorithm-driven harmful content, improve safety measures, support digital literacy, and carefully evaluate any major policy interventions."
The NSPCC, Childnet, and the suicide prevention charity Molly Rose Foundation were among 42 individuals and organizations who argued on Saturday that a ban would be the "wrong solution."
These organizations wrote, "This would create a false sense of security, driving children – and the dangers that threaten them – to other places online."
"Despite good intentions, a complete ban on social media will not deliver the improvements to children's safety and well-being that they so desperately need."
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