UK Floats Australian-Style Social Media Ban as Pressure Grows to Protect Children Online

The UK government has launched a public consultation on whether to introduce an Australian-style ban on social media for children, signalling a possible shift toward tougher regulation of how minors use digital platforms.

Announcing the move on Monday, the government said it would examine evidence from around the world on a range of proposals, including whether a social media ban for children would be effective and, if introduced, how it could realistically be enforced.

Ministers are expected to visit Australia, which last month became the first country to ban social media for children under 16, to study how the policy works in practice. The UK government said it wants to learn directly from Australia’s experience before committing to any specific model.

“The consultation will look at options including raising the digital age of consent, implementing phone curfews to avoid excessive use, and restricting potentially addictive design features such as ‘streaks’ and ‘infinite scrolling’,” the government said in a statement.

The announcement comes as governments and regulators worldwide struggle to keep pace with rapidly evolving online harms, particularly those linked to artificial intelligence. Concern has intensified this month following international outrage over reports that Elon Musk’s Grok AI chatbot generated non-consensual sexual images, including of children.

The UK has already outlined plans to ban AI-powered nudification tools outright and to stop children from being able to take, share or view nude images on their devices, according to Monday’s statement.

“We are determined to ensure technology enriches children’s lives, not harms them – and to give every child the childhood they deserve,” said Technology Secretary Liz Kendall.

While the government did not specify an age threshold for a potential social media ban, it said it is exploring restrictions “for children under a certain age”. It is also reviewing whether the current digital age of consent of 13 is too low and whether stronger age verification measures are needed.

The issue has become politically charged. Opposition Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has already said her party would introduce a ban on social media for under-16s if it were in power. She criticised the Labour-led government’s consultation as hesitation rather than action.

“The prime minister is trying to copy an announcement that the Conservatives made a week ago, and still not getting it right,” Badenoch said, accusing Prime Minister Keir Starmer of lacking the resolve to enforce a ban.