Social media is part of everyday life for many children and teenagers, but concerns about online safety, wellbeing and the way platforms are designed have prompted major changes to UK policy. This guide explains the planned under-16 restrictions, what Ofcom has now said about age checks, and what families can expect next.
AT A GLANCE
WHAT IS CHANGING
Social media access will be restricted for under-16s
Platforms will need highly effective age checks. Certain high-risk features, including livestreaming and contact from strangers, are also due to be restricted for younger users.
WHEN
Expected from Spring 2027
The Government expects the restrictions to be implemented in spring 2027. The exact start date has not yet been confirmed.
WHERE
United Kingdom
The proposed rules will apply to covered online services operating in the UK.
WHO IT AFFECTS
Children and young people under 16
Separate default protections are also planned for 16- and 17-year-olds.
Last checked: 4th November 2026
What is changing for under-16s?
The Government plans to introduce a minimum age of 16 for access to certain social media services. From the start of the new rules, social media companies will not be allowed to offer covered services to children under 16.
This is not intended to stop under-16s using the internet generally. The Government says children will still be able to use online services for learning, news, games and staying in touch with known friends and family through messaging services.
The restriction is aimed specifically at social media services that fall within the Government’s definition. The final legal definition and detailed scope will be set out through regulations.
When will the new social media rules start?
The Government currently expects the first social media restrictions to come into force in spring 2027. The first regulations are expected to be laid before Parliament by the end of 2026.
There is no confirmed day yet. Spring 2027 should therefore be treated as the expected implementation period, not as a date on which parents should expect the rules to begin automatically.
We will update this article when the Government confirms the exact date and publishes the final implementation details.
Which social media platforms will be affected?
The Government says it plans to use a similar model to the one used in Australia. Its current material gives examples including Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat, Facebook and X.
That does not mean this is the final legally confirmed list of affected platforms. The Government is still developing the regulations that will define which services fall within the restriction.
The current approach focuses on services designed to enable social interaction where users can post material and where features such as recommendation systems can create particular risks. The final rules will determine exactly which services meet the relevant definition.
Will WhatsApp and other messaging apps be affected?
The Government has specifically said that it does not intend for messaging services such as WhatsApp and Signal to be included in the social media ban.
This is an important distinction. The policy is not intended to cut under-16s off from communicating online with known friends and family through ordinary messaging services.
Messaging services can still have other online-safety requirements, so this does not mean every messaging app will operate without age-related protections. It means the Government’s current social media restriction is not intended to cover services such as WhatsApp and Signal simply because they are used for online communication.
What happens to an under-16’s existing social media account?
This is one of the details that has not yet been fully settled.
The Government has said that, as the regulations are developed, it will provide clearer information about exactly which platforms will be affected, what happens to existing accounts and how age assurance will work in practice.
So parents should not assume that an existing account will automatically be deleted on a particular date. Equally, it would be wrong to say that existing accounts will definitely be allowed to continue. The final arrangements have not yet been confirmed.
Will parental permission allow an under-16 to keep using a covered platform?
The current policy is being designed as a restriction on social media companies offering their services to under-16s, rather than as a system where parents can simply give permission for a child to continue using a covered service.
The Government has also said that responsibility for complying with the new restrictions will sit with the platforms, not with children themselves. It says that, for covered social media services, parents will no longer need to rely on managing parental controls to keep an under-16 from using those services.
The final regulations will need to set out the precise arrangements and any exceptions. At present, there is no confirmed parental-consent exception that parents can rely on.
How will social media companies check a child’s age?
Ofcom published a rapid assessment on 29th October 2026 identifying four methods that it considers capable of being highly effective at checking whether someone is aged 16 or over. The assessment was requested by the Government to help inform the detailed rules for the planned ban.
FOUR AGE-CHECK METHODS ASSESSED BY OFCOM
01 · Photo ID
Match a passport, driving licence or suitable photo ID to a live image.
02 · Digital ID
Use a digital identity service to confirm a person’s age.
03 · Banking checks
Use age information held by a bank or financial institution, with consent.
04 · Facial age estimation
Estimate age from facial features, with extra checks near the age threshold.
WHAT AGE CHECKS COULD MEAN FOR 16- AND 17-YEAR-OLDS
94%
Of people aged 16+ have a passport or driving licence, according to Ofcom
150,000
16- and 17-year-olds are estimated to have neither document
90%
Of 16- and 17-year-olds have a bank account, potentially offering another way to verify age
PASS cards
Free proof-of-age card options are available to 16- and 17-year-olds who need photo ID
A passport or driving licence is not the only possible route. The final rules will determine which alternatives platforms can offer.
OTHER OPTIONS IF YOU DO NOT HAVE PHOTO ID
PASS CARD
A PASS-accredited proof-of-age card may provide an alternative. Free options are available to 16- and 17-year-olds.
BANK CHECK
With consent, a bank can use its records to confirm whether someone is at least 16.
This does not mean every young person will have to upload photo ID. Services may use different age-check methods. Ofcom says a PASS-accredited proof-of-age card, including free options for 16- and 17-year-olds, may provide another route for those without a passport or driving licence.
IF A FACE SCAN IS NOT CLEAR
Facial age estimation can be less accurate around age 16. Ofcom’s “challenge age” approach means anyone who appears close to the threshold may be asked for a second, more reliable check.
WHAT ABOUT ADULT USERS?
Some adults may not need another check if a platform already has accurate, reliable information showing they are over 16. Others may still be asked to verify their age.
These are methods Ofcom has assessed, not a final instruction that every platform must use all four. The Government’s regulations and Ofcom’s guidance will set the requirements.
PRIVACY STILL MATTERS
Age checks involve personal data. Ofcom says systems can be designed to protect privacy and comply with data protection law, but how information is collected, used and stored is important.
CAN AGE CHECKS BE BYPASSED?
No system will stop every attempt. Platforms will need ways to respond to suspected underage accounts, including user reports and supporting age-inference tools. Ofcom plans further research into circumvention within 12 months of the ban taking effect.
What about livestreaming and talking to strangers?
The changes go beyond the social media restriction itself.
The Government also plans to prevent under-16s from accessing certain high-risk functions on other online services, including gaming services. The examples given include livestreaming and features that allow strangers to contact children.
This means a service does not necessarily have to be classed as social media for a child-protection restriction to apply. Some specific functions may be restricted because of the risks they create.
What changes for 16- and 17-year-olds?
The Government is not planning to extend the under-16 social media restriction to 16- and 17-year-olds. They will still be able to access social media, but additional protections are planned by default.
For 16- and 17-year-olds, the Government plans to switch on stronger protections by default:
DEFAULT PROTECTIONS FOR AGES 16 AND 17
12am–6am
Access restricted overnight by default
Notifications off
Push notifications muted overnight
Autoplay off
Videos will not automatically play
Personalised feeds off
Recommendation feeds disabled by default
The Government says 16- and 17-year-olds will be able to change these default settings themselves when they are ready to do so.
Livestreaming and communication with strangers are also planned to be switched off by default for 16- and 17-year-olds on relevant services.
Does this mean under-16s will be banned from the internet?
No. That would be a much broader restriction than the policy the Government has announced.
Under-16s will still be able to use the internet for education, information, games and other online activities that are not covered by the new restrictions. The Government has specifically said children will still be able to use messaging services to stay in touch with known friends and family.
The changes are focused on particular social media services and particular high-risk features, rather than internet access as a whole.
What does this mean for parents?
For most parents, there is nothing they need to apply for at the moment. The rules are being developed and are expected to come into force in spring 2027.
In the meantime, it is worth knowing that the existing online-safety rules are already changing how some services check users’ ages. Parents may therefore see more age-check requests before the new under-16 restrictions arrive.
Once the final regulations and implementation arrangements are published, parents are likely to want to check which services their child uses, whether those services are covered and what alternative ways of communicating or accessing useful content remain available.