UK to consult on social media ban for under 16s

The government has launched a consultation on banning social media for under 16s in the UK as a part of a series of measures which it says are intended to "protect young people's wellbeing."

The package will also see England's education inspectorate, Ofsted, given the power to check policies on phone use when it goes into schools, with ministers saying they expect schools to be "phone-free by default" as a result.

The world's first social media ban for young people took effect in Australia in December 2025, prompting other countries, including the UK, to consider following suit.

Some experts and children's charities have cautioned against the idea - but it has strong backing elsewhere.

The Association of School and College Leaders also welcomed the consultation on social media, but said the government had been "sluggish" in responding to the online risks posed to children.

The union's general secretary Pepe Di'Iasio said there was "clearly a much wider problem of children and young people spending far too much time on screens and being exposed to inappropriate content".

And Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, also welcomed the plans to consult on a potential social media ban.

But he said the suggestion that Ofsted should "police" phones in schools was "deeply unhelpful and misguided".

"School leaders need support from government, not the threat of heavy-handed inspection," he added.

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