The UK government has formally launched its consultation on UK children’s digital wellbeing, covering social media, curfews, AI chatbots and gaming. The key issue is to consider what further measures are needed on top of the Online Safety Act 2023.
The consultation explores:
- whether there should be a minimum age for social media, and if so, what age would be right
- whether platforms should be required to switch off addictive features that keep children hooked late into the night – like infinite scrolling and autoplay
- whether mandatory overnight curfews would help children sleep better and what age they should apply to
- whether children should be able to use AI chatbots without restriction
- how age verification enforcement should be strengthened
- how to help children and parents navigate the digital world and thrive online.
The consultation will close on 26 May 2026. The government has committed to taking swift action on its findings. On 16 February 2026, the Prime Minister announced new legal powers to allow the government to act swiftly after the consultation response, without waiting for new primary legislation. It will publish its response in summer 2026.
European Parliament opinion
As well as developments in the UK, last week, MEPs approved an opinion addressing how social media and the online environment affect young people. The text proposes measures to strengthen the protection of minors online, clarify platform responsibilities and improve enforcement across the EU. It also supports setting a common European age limit for social media, whereby young people would need to be at least 16 to use social media platforms, unless authorised by parents, while access would not be allowed for children under 13.
The opinion promotes effective and privacy-friendly age verification across the EU and calls for stronger and more consistent enforcement of existing laws protecting children online.
The text asks the European Commission to introduce stronger rules to better protect children online through the proposed Digital Fairness Act. It suggests that the new law should cover common online practices — such as targeted advertising, influencer promotions, addictive design features, loot boxes, virtual currencies in video games and misleading website designs. The aim is to close gaps in existing laws, while avoiding unnecessary regulatory complexity for businesses.
In addition, the opinion highlights AI risks such as misinformation, manipulation and emotional dependency, and calls for strict safeguards.
