UK government considers social media age limits and feature restrictions to protect children online
By
NEWSBEEP
More flour than flavour. There's a bagel in here, just not much of one.
Summary
The UK government launched a consultation in March 2026 called "Growing up in the online world" to explore better protections for children online. Proposals include introducing a legal minimum age for social media, limiting features like autoplay and infinite scrolling, and strengthening age verification. The review builds on the Online Safety Act and aims to shape future internet regulation for young people. Over 81,000 responses were submitted before the consultation closed.
Key quotes
· 4 pulledThe UK government launched its 'Growing up in the online world' consultation in March 2026 to examine how to better protect children online.
It is considering whether to introduce a legal minimum age for social media, alongside limits on features such as autoplay and infinite scrolling, and stronger age checks.
The review forms part of wider efforts to build on the Online Safety Act, with ministers saying it will help shape future laws on how young people use the internet.
More than 81,000 responses were submitted before the consultation closed.
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