Under 16s Social Media Ban: A premature discussion?
The UK’s conversation on children’s online safety has reached a critical moment. As political attention turns once again to proposals for a blanket ban on social media use for under-16s, it is vital that policy decisions are guided by evidence, not popularity.
There is an overwhelming consensus against a ban from researcher, academia, civil society and young people, against a blanket ban. At face value, such a ban might appear to be the most effective approach to keeping children safe online, but when this proposal is reviewed at greater depth, it becomes evident this is an incomplete approach that risks ultimately proliferating harms in practice. Protecting young people online must be a fundamental priority for industry and policymakers alike, but a one-size-fits-all prohibition is unlikely to deliver meaningful safety improvements. The initial rollout of a similar ban in Australia highlights significant challenges, including enforcement difficulties, widespread circumvention, and unintended consequences for children’s social, educational, and economic development.
Social media is not simply a leisure activity for young people. It plays an important role in peer connection, creativity, learning, and exploration, particularly for those who may be isolated or marginalised offline. Any policy that restricts access must carefully weigh these benefits alongside potential risks
Why techUK opposes a blanket ban
Social media platforms are often portrayed purely as sources of risk, but this overlooks their significant social, educational, and economic value. For many young people, these platforms are integral to social development, learning, creativity, and opportunity. Any policy that restricts access must carefully balance potential risks with what young people stand to lose.
Importantly, many technology companies are already taking substantial steps to improve online safety. Significant investment is being made in safety features, privacy-preserving technologies, age-appropriate design, and age verification, particularly under the UK’s Online Safety Act (OSA). Policy should build on this progress, not constrain it. Rather than backing a prohibition on under-16s using social media, we support:
Ensuring regulation works in practice and can be effectively enforced. Early evidence from Australia suggests its model is technically impractical.
Supporting industry-led solutions that protect children without unintended consequences.
Preserving innovation, parental choice, digital education, and accountability.
Encouraging constructive engagement between policymakers and industry to raise standards for safe, age-appropriate online experiences, instead of imposing blunt bans that are likely to be circumvented.
The UK’s legal framework vs Australia’s
The UK Government and Parliament have put in place a world leading online safety regime that is being implemented by Ofcom. The Online Safety Act places enforceable duties on platforms to protect children through risk assessments, content moderation, age-appropriate design, and age assurance. The OSA this week has proven to work, and it should be given time to mature.
Australia’s approach, by contrast, is relatively new and untested. Introducing a similar blanket ban in the UK now risks undermining the OSA before it has had time maturing, weakening both child safety and innovation.
Blanket bans for under-16s are unlikely to deliver meaningful safety improvements and risk unintended harms, such as migration to less regulated or encrypted platforms, reduced opportunities for early digital literacy, and increased generational inequality.
The practical problems with a ban
A blanket ban raises several serious concerns including:
Children’s rights and inclusion: International frameworks recognise young people’s rights to expression, information, and participation in social and cultural life. Broad restrictions risk undermining these rights and increasing digital exclusion.
Enforcement challenges: Strict age verification can be easily bypassed through VPNs, proxies, or adult-created accounts.
Migration to riskier spaces: A ban could push young people towards unregulated platforms or encrypted and dark web spaces with far weaker safety protections.
Limited evidence of effectiveness: Research shows that the relationship between social media and mental health is complex and varies widely. Most young people report neutral or positive experiences, including social connection and peer support.
Missed opportunities for education: Many harms are better addressed through digital literacy, parental engagement, safe-by-design services, and robust enforcement of existing rules.
Undermining existing features: Removing young people from regulated platforms could undermine these protections and reduce parental oversight.
What young people gain from social media
Restricting access risks cutting young people off from important benefits:
Social benefits
Peer connection and community building, especially for isolated or marginalised groups.
Opportunities for self-expression, creativity, and cultural exchange.
Mental wellbeing support through shared interests and peer networks.
Educational benefits
Access to tutorials, educational content, and collaborative learning tools.
Development of digital literacy, critical thinking, and creative skills.
Early experimentation with coding, media production, and entrepreneurship.
Economic benefits
Exposure to career pathways, networking, and internships.
Support for entrepreneurship and participation in the digital economy.
Development of workforce-relevant skills such as communication, marketing, and content creation.
A better path forward
techUK advocates for an evidence-led, proportionate, and workable approach to online safety. Policymakers should:
Identify and address gaps in existing legal frameworks.
Focus on enforceable safety outcomes rather than broad prohibitions.
Avoid policies that push minors towards unregulated or opaque services.
Invest in education, digital resilience, and media literacy alongside regulation.
Conclusion
Protecting children online is a fundamental responsibility, and our members are actively shaping safer digital experiences while tackling the most severe online harms, including NCII. Blanket bans, such as those being debated for under-16s, risk undermining progress already made under the UK’s Online Safety Act, while limiting opportunities for children to develop skills, connect safely with peers, and access educational resources.
Evidence-based, proportionate, and enforceable measures, combined with industry collaboration and education initiatives, offer a more effective and rights-respecting path forward. By investing in technology, safety, and partnerships, our members continue to demonstrate leadership in safeguarding users and creating a safer online environment for everyone.
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Antony Walker is deputy CEO of techUK, which he played a lead role in launching in November 2013.
Antony is a member of the senior leadership team and has overall responsibility for techUK’s policy work. Prior to his appointment in July 2012 Antony was chief executive of the Broadband Stakeholder Group (BSG), the UK’s independent advisory group on broadband policy. Antony was closely involved in the development of broadband policy development in the UK since the BSG was established in 2001 and authored several major reports to government. He also led the development of the UK’s world leading Open Internet Code of Practice that addresses the issue of net neutrality in the UK. Prior to setting up the BSG, Antony spent six years working in Brussels for the American Chamber of Commerce following and writing about telecoms issues and as a consultant working on EU social affairs and environmental issues. Antony is a graduate of Aberdeen University and KU Leuven and is also a Policy Fellow Alumni of the Centre for Science and Policy at Cambridge University.
Nimmi Patel is the Associate Director of Policy at techUK. She works on all things skills, education, and future of work policy, focusing on upskilling and retraining. Nimmi is also an Advisory Board member of the Digital Futures at Work Research Centre (digit). The Centre’s research aims to increase understanding of how digital technologies are changing work and the implications for employers, workers, job seekers, and governments.
Prior to joining the techUK team, she worked for the UK Labour Party and New Zealand Labour Party, and holds an MA in Strategic Communications at King’s College London and BA in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from the University of Manchester. She also took part in the 2024-25 University of Bath Institute for Policy Research Policy Fellowship Programme and is the Education and Skills Policy Co-lead for Labour in Communications.
As Head of Public Affairs, Alice supports techUK’s strategic engagement with Westminster, Whitehall and beyond. She regularly works to engage with ministers, members of the UK’s parliaments and senior civil servants on techUK’s work advocating for the role of technology in the UK’s economy as well as wider society.
Alice joined techUK in 2022. She has experience working at both a political monitoring company, leading on the tech, media and telecoms portfolio there, and also as an account manager in a Westminster-based public affairs agency. She has a degree from the University of Sheffield in Politics and Philosophy.
Edward leads the Digital Economy programme at techUK, which includes our work on online safety, fraud, and regulation for growth initiatives.
He has prior experience working for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and has previously worked for a number of public affairs consultancies specialising in research and strategy, working with leading clients in the technology and financial services sectors.
Samiah Anderson is the Head of Digital Regulation at techUK.
With over seven years of Government Affairs expertise, Samiah has built a solid reputation as a tech policy specialist, engaging regularly with UK Government Ministers, senior civil servants and UK Parliamentarians.
Before joining techUK, Samiah led several public affairs functions for international tech firms and coalitions at Burson Global (formerly Hill & Knowlton), delivering CEO-level strategic counsel on political, legislative, and regulatory issues in the UK, EU, US, China, India, and Japan. She is adept at mobilising multinational companies and industry associations, focusing on cross-cutting digital regulatory issues such as competition, artificial intelligence, and more.
She holds a BA (Hons) in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics from the University of London, where she founded the New School Economics Society, the Goldsmiths University chapter of Rethinking Economics.
Archie Breare joined techUK in September 2022 as the Telecoms Programme intern, and moved into the Policy and Public Affairs team in February 2023.
Before starting at techUK, Archie was a student at the University of Cambridge, completing an undergraduate degree in History and a master's degree in Modern British History.
In his spare time, he likes to read, discuss current affairs, and to try and persuade himself to cycle more.
Dani joined techUK in February 2025 as a Policy Manager in the Digital Regulation team.
Prior to this, Dani worked in political monitoring where she was a consultant for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. In this role, she developed a strong understanding of parliamentary procedure, closely following all of the major developments in the tech centre and working with several key stakeholders and regulators.
She has an undergraduate degree in History from the University of Bristol and an MPhil in Modern European History from the University of Cambridge.
Outside of tech, Dani has a strong interest in addiction policy, particularly towards drugs, having written her dissertation on the topic as well as several subsequent research projects. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking and following all things motoring, whether that be F1, MotoGP or Formula E.
Oliver is a Junior Policy Manager at techUK, working across Public Affairs and Digital Regulation policy. He supports the organisation’s engagement with government and parliament, contributes to shaping techUK’s regulatory agenda, and plays a key role in coordinating political outreach, policy projects, and flagship events.
He joined techUK in November 2023 as a Team Assistant to the Policy and Public Affairs team, before stepping into his current role. He has been closely involved in efforts to ensure the tech sector’s voice is heard in the policymaking process.
Oliver holds a Master’s in Policy Research from the University of Bristol and a BSc in Policy from Swansea University. During his studies, he contributed to mental health research as a Student Research Assistant for the SMaRteN network.
Outside of work, Oliver is a keen debater and remains active in the UK debating community, having previously led the Swansea University Debating Union. He enjoys exploring complex issues from multiple perspectives and values clear, thoughtful communication in policy discussions.
Tess joined techUK as an Policy and Public Affairs Team Assistant in November of 2024. In this role, she supports areas such as administration, member communications and media content.
Before joining the Team, she gained experience working as an Intern in both campaign support for MPs and Councilors during the 2024 Local and General Election, and working for the Casimir Pulaski Foundation on defence and international secuirty. She has worked for multiple charities, on issues such as the climate crisis, educational inequality and Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG). In 2023, Tess obtained her Bachelors of Arts in Politics and International Relations from the University of Nottingham.
Samiah Anderson is the Head of Digital Regulation at techUK.
With over seven years of Government Affairs expertise, Samiah has built a solid reputation as a tech policy specialist, engaging regularly with UK Government Ministers, senior civil servants and UK Parliamentarians.
Before joining techUK, Samiah led several public affairs functions for international tech firms and coalitions at Burson Global (formerly Hill & Knowlton), delivering CEO-level strategic counsel on political, legislative, and regulatory issues in the UK, EU, US, China, India, and Japan. She is adept at mobilising multinational companies and industry associations, focusing on cross-cutting digital regulatory issues such as competition, artificial intelligence, and more.
She holds a BA (Hons) in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics from the University of London, where she founded the New School Economics Society, the Goldsmiths University chapter of Rethinking Economics.
The UK has a world-leading regulatory system that supports the economy while protecting the society. However, strategic reforms to the UK’s regulatory regime could help unlock its full potential as a vital catalyst for growth, bringing considerable rewards across industry.
