Britain is exploring new measures to better protect children online, including a possible ban on social media for those below a certain age.
The government announced on Monday that it will review international evidence and examine whether an Australian-style social media ban would be effective in the UK. Officials will also study stricter rules on mobile phone use in schools.
As part of the process, UK ministers plan to visit Australia to review the impact of the country’s recently implemented social media ban for children, the Financial Times reported.
Australia’s minimum age requirement for social media use came into effect on December 10. The law applies to platforms including Facebook, X, TikTok, Twitch, Snapchat, YouTube, and Reddit.
To comply with the new rules, Meta recently shut down nearly 550,000 accounts, most of which were on Instagram.
Although no specific age limit has been set, the government confirmed it is considering a ban “for children under a certain age.” It is also reviewing stronger age-verification systems and evaluating whether the current digital age of consent is too low.
The proposals come amid growing global concern about the impact of social media and screen time on children’s mental health and development.
Authorities say the rapid rise of AI-generated content has increased risks for minors. Recent controversy over AI tools creating non-consensual sexual images, including those of children, has intensified calls for tougher regulation.
The British government has already outlined plans to ban AI “nudification” tools and to prevent children from creating, sharing, or viewing nude images on their devices.
Officials are also considering restricting features that encourage addictive behavior, such as infinite scrolling and constant notifications.
Britain’s Online Safety Act, which recently came into force, has already strengthened protections. According to the government, the law has increased online age checks from 30 percent to 47 percent and reduced visits to pornography websites by one-third.
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said further action is needed to address parents’ concerns.
“These laws were never meant to be the endpoint, and we know parents still have serious concerns. That is why I am prepared to take further action,” she said.