In May 2026, Together responded to a UK Government consultation on potential reforms intended to better protect children and young people on social media and in other online spaces. Our response primarily focused on questions concerning:
- The benefits and harms of social media and online platforms,
- The impacts of a blanket ban on social media for under-16s, and
- Fostering safe and positive digital spaces for children and young people.
We also commented briefly on questions surrounding:
- Age assurance technologies,
- The use of mobile phones in schools, and
- How parent/carer control over a child’s online experiences should evolve as they grow and mature.
Evidence from children and young people
While our answers were informed by the UNCRC, guidance from the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child in the form of General Comments and Concluding Observations, and civil society and academic research, we also drew on input from children and young people in Scotland who contributed to our 2024 State of Children’s Rights Report. Thanks to the Australian Youth Affairs Coalition and Project Rockit, we also had the opportunity to engage directly with young people in Australia, where a social media ban for under-16s has been in place since December 2025.
“Social media companies are not being held accountable for the bad stuff that is being put out onto there, and instead, younger people who just want to exist on the online space are having to […] suffer for it.”
— Darcey, age 15, supported by Project Rockit
Children and young people have voiced their opposition to a blanket ban on social media for those under the minimum age of access, arguing that such an approach would be extremist and contrary to their best interests. While they recognise the risks associated with social media, such as harmful content and cybercrimes, they also highlight the numerous benefits that these platforms bring to their lives, explaining that the possibilities for learning, creativity, entertainment, and social interaction could be curtailed by an increase to the minimum age of access. They express that such one-size-fits-all changes are unfair and disproportionate, as a strict age-based approach fails to account for nuances that shape individuals’ online experiences, such as maturity and personal usage habits. Raising the minimum age of access from 13 could thus run counter to the needs of children and young people and the sentiments they have raised, carrying negative implications for their best interests (Article 3) and right to be heard (Article 12).
Children and young people also commented on the inefficacy of age assurance technologies and the ease with which they can be bypassed; the need for some students, such as those with medical needs, caring responsibilities, and/or parents in the armed forces, to have access to mobile phones in schools; and the importance of parental involvement in their online lives as a form of guidance rather than surveillance.
Blanket bans: an ineffective solution
Our research and engagement with children and young people has allowed us to conclude that a social media ban for children and young people under 16 is neither an effective nor rights-respecting course of action. Social media and online platforms can support children’s rights in some contexts and undermine them in others; children and young people across the globe have expressed that it is the design, moderation, and governance of these technologies that determines their impact. A blanket ban does not tackle the underlying drivers of online harm, including platform design, algorithmic amplification or the prevalence of harmful content. It can also risk pushing young people towards less regulated platforms, making them less likely to seek help if they encounter harmful content while circumventing restrictions for fear they will get into trouble.
“I definitely think it [a social media ban for under-16s] would make them less likely [to seek help]. […] It’s difficult because you don’t want to get in trouble but then you’d also be throwing yourself under the bus as well, so it puts them in a really difficult position […] and it just gets very tricky.”
— Emily, age 13, supported by Project Rockit
Our recommendations
We therefore call on the UK Government to ensure that any proposed reforms fully respect, protect, and fulfil children’s rights in the digital environment. UK Government should:
- Engage with children and young people from the outset to adopt a nuanced, effective approach that achieves the right balance between autonomy and protection, and the opportunities and risks that come with the use of social media and online platforms.
- Ensure any measures taken are necessary and proportionate, and that reforms align with the rights and needs of children and young people.
- Conduct and publish a Child Rights Impact Assessment (CRIA) for any proposals to assess their compatibility with children’s rights standards and international obligations, and identify any necessary mitigations.
Conclusion
“People can bypass it [the ban] – that’s my only advice to Keir Starmer. He should be aware that people can obviously bypass it, so it does become largely ineffective at a larger scale.”
— Mannon, age 17, supported by Project Rockit
In summary, a higher minimum age for social media access is unlikely to be an effective solution. If enforceable, it would significantly restrict children’s rights and access to important opportunities; if, as is more likely, it is widely circumvented, it would do little to reduce access while introducing new and unintended risks. Children and young people across the globe have also made clear that it is not social media itself, but rather how such technologies are used and governed, that poses risks to users. For these reasons, we are against the introduction of a ban on under-16s. UK Government should instead ensure that policy efforts address the design, governance, and safety of online environments themselves, working closely with children and young people to design solutions.
Read our response here: https://www.togetherscotland.org.uk/resources-and-networks/togethers-publications/
Ends
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