The UK government is considering a legal minimum age for social media use and plans to restrict those under 16 from using platforms or freely interacting with strangers in online games such as Fortnite, Roblox, and Minecraft [1, 2]. The government launched a public consultation called "Growing up in the online world" in March 2026, which collected over 100,000 responses on age limits and platform safety features [1]. After reviewing feedback, the UK will announce next steps on online child safety laws in summer 2026 [1]. The proposals also seek to ban features like infinite scrolling and autoplay on social media and gaming platforms [1, 2].
Scottish Children and Young People’s Commissioner Nicola Killean cautioned against blanket bans. She said, "禁令几乎无助于解决根本问题，例如具有剥削性的算法，以及推动有害内容传播和提高用户参与度的商业模式," warning that age limits might shift responsibility from the platforms to children and negatively affect vulnerable groups [1]. Experts also say bans risk pushing youth to more dangerous, less regulated platforms [1].
In Sweden, a government commission recommended setting 15 years as the minimum social media age, raising the current requirement that children under 13 must have parental consent to create accounts [3]. Lisa Englund Krafft, the Swedish investigator, said, "The reasons for introducing an age limit nevertheless outweigh the benefits of continued free access to this type of media," while Swedish Minister Jakob Forssmed emphasized that "We are losing an entire generation to endless scrolling. Screens and social media and their impact on the health of children and young people is one of the biggest challenges of our time" [3].
Other countries are moving similarly: Norway plans to propose a bill banning social media use for under-16s by late 2026, while Australia implemented a world-first ban on social media use by under-16s in December 2025 [3, 2]. Popular games like Call of Duty and Black Ops implemented age verification in 2025 to meet rising regulation [2]. New York State recently introduced the Children’s Online Safety Act requiring age verification on chat-enabled platforms [2].
The UK government is expected to announce the next regulatory steps in summer 2026, following the public consultation and impact assessment [1].
