Guidance: Fact sheet: New rules to protect children online, Department for Science, Innovation and Technology*
What are the main points?
- Young people aged under 16 will be barred from platforms including Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X. The ban is modelled on one already introduced in Australia.
- Additional UK blocks will restrict functions, including livestreaming and stranger communication online, for under-18s.
- The protections, which were backed by 9 in 10 parents, are expected to come into force in spring 2027.
- The government is also exploring overnight curfews and ‘breaks in infinite scrolling’ for all under-18s.
EXPERT THOUGHT from the UK’s children’s commissioners:
Dame Rachel de Souza, England: ‘This announcement is a positive response to what children have been telling me. However, these measures will only be as strong as their enforcement.’
Chris Quinn, Northern Ireland: ‘A blanket ban allows the root causes of harm to persist. Such measures could push under-16s into darker and more dangerous corners of the internet.’
Nicola Killean, Scotland: ‘Social media can expose children to serious risk, but it can also play an important role by supporting communication, self-expression, access to information, play and connection with support networks.’
Rocio Cifuentes, Wales: ‘The most important question is not simply whether children should be allowed on social media, but whether social media is managed in a way that is safe for children in the first place.’
*This government department will be changing going forwards.
Image | ISTOCK
