On June 15, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a ban on social media access for children under 16, following a public consultation that ran from March 2 to May 26, 2026. The government will enforce stricter age-gating mechanisms to protect minors from online harms. The consultation received 116,211 responses, including over 14,000 from children and more than 54,000 from parents, according to medianama.com.
The public consultation process gathered input from children, parents, and organizations over 85 days. Children’s responses made up 12.05% of participants, with 60% supporting some form of age restrictions on social media. Parents represented 46.46% of respondents, while organizations accounted for 0.51%. The government released a summary report highlighting these findings and their influence on the regulatory approach, as detailed by medianama.com.
This move aligns with growing global concerns about the impact of social media on young users. The UK’s decision follows similar regulatory efforts worldwide aimed at increasing online safety for children. The ban and stricter age verification measures are expected to set a precedent for digital platforms operating in the UK, emphasizing child protection in the digital space, according to medianama.com.
The consultation report and the government’s regulatory plans were made public shortly after the announcement on June 15. The consultation included contributions from 116,211 individuals and organizations, marking one of the largest public engagements on digital policy in the UK to date, as reported by medianama.com.