The UK considers banning under-16s from social media, citing safety concerns and grief-driven advocacy.

In response to pressure from families like Molly Russell's and Brianna Ghey's, the UK government has opened a consultation on limiting the use of social media by under-16s, including bans, time limits, and the removal of addictive features. It is researching Australia's 2025 ban, ordering Ofsted to examine school phone policies, and creating parental screen time guidelines. Within a year, a parliamentary amendment supported by the NEU and 61 Labour MPs could mandate that platforms block users under the age of sixteen. However, experts caution that such a ban could drive teenagers to riskier online environments. As part of increased regulatory pressure, TikTok is improving age verification in Europe by using behavior and content analysis to identify accounts belonging to minors. Although all options are being considered, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has not committed to a ban.