The UK DSIT has launched a national consultation, Growing up in the online world: a national conversation, to gather views on strengthening children's online safety and wellbeing and potentially new AI-related obligations, with responses due by late May.

The consultation specifically examines ways to curb under-16s’ access to social media amid concerns that current protections are inadequate and that addictive design may harm teens.

Participants such as parents, young people, educators, charities, academics, and tech providers are invited to weigh in on measures ranging from full bans to targeted interventions like disabling autoplay, overnight curfews, restricting AI chatbot access, and stronger age checks.

Regulatory and enforcement considerations focus on privacy-preserving, layered age assurance and accurate age checks, with a plan to publish findings quickly and, if needed, use secondary legislation to implement approaches.

Enforcement and digital skills are addressed through a layered age-verification approach, seeking evidence on how children bypass checks (account sharing, VPNs) and advocating a mix of regulatory controls with education and parental guidance.

Historically, an under-16 ban was included in a prior bill but was removed in favor of a new targeted-regulation framework.

Real-world examples, like Evie and Noah, illustrate the tension between access and safety, underscoring that growing up online is integral to adolescence and requires practical guidance rather than outright screen avoidance.

Debate persists on bans’ effectiveness, with concerns about privacy and literacy risks if overly restrictive, and proposals range from age-based restrictions to strengthened platform accountability and parental controls.

Regulatory scope could extend beyond social media to online games, in-game chat, and matchmaking with strangers under the umbrella of specified internet services.

MPs rejected a full blanket ban, opting for flexible ministerial powers to restrict harmful features or platforms, signaling a cautious regulatory approach.

Research links excessive social media use to higher anxiety, depression, sleep disruption, and lower self-esteem among 12- to 15-year-olds, highlighting mental health concerns alongside screen time.

The consultation explores persuasive and compulsive design, seeking evidence on features like infinite scroll and autoplay and considering time-based interventions and possible age-based design restrictions across platforms including gaming and livestreaming.