Britain opens three-month consult on banning social media for under-16s

Britain is launching a three-month consultation to decide whether to ban social media for under-16s and to explore other safeguards that might help protect young people online. The plan asks parents and children for views on possible measures, including setting a minimum age for social media accounts, restricting addictive design features, and even overnight curfews for younger users.

The government says pilots with families and teenagers will test how such restrictions could work in practice, and it will examine whether children should be allowed to interact with AI chatbots without limits or if age-verification rules should be strengthened.

In parallel, the government is moving ahead with stricter rules to curb non-consensual intimate images by requiring tech companies to remove them within 48 hours or face fines up to 10% of global revenue.

The consultation, led by technology and policy ministers, aims to balance safety with freedom online, acknowledging parents' concerns about screen time and the ability to keep track of what their children see.

This move echoes similar steps in other countries as governments grapple with the impact of social media on mental health and sleep.

The three-month process begins this Monday as officials seek input from families nationwide to shape potential policy changes.

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