TL;DR

The UK government has opened a three-month consultation on children’s digital wellbeing, covering whether to ban social media for under-16s, restrict AI chatbot features for children, impose overnight curfews on platforms, and strengthen age verification. The consultation closes on 26 May 2026, with the government promising to act on findings over the summer.

What the consultation covers

The consultation asks the public to weigh in on several measures:

  • Whether there should be a minimum age for social media, and what that age should be
  • Whether platforms should be required to switch off addictive features like infinite scrolling and autoplay
  • Whether mandatory overnight curfews would help children sleep better
  • Whether children should be able to use AI chatbots without restriction
  • How age verification enforcement should be strengthened

Technology Secretary Liz Kendall framed the effort around parental concerns: “We know parents everywhere are grappling with how much screen time their children should have, when they should give them a phone, what they are seeing online, and the impact all of this is having.”

Real-world testing

Notably, the government plans to go beyond gathering opinions. It will run live pilots with families and teenagers to test interventions — including social media bans, overnight curfews, and daily screen time limits — so that decisions are grounded in real-world evidence rather than just public sentiment.

The consultation sits alongside new legislative powers that would allow ministers to act within months of reaching conclusions, rather than waiting for entirely new legislation each time technology changes.

The AI chatbot question

Among the more forward-looking questions is whether children should face restrictions when using AI chatbots. Many parents worry about children treating chatbots as if they are real people and relying on their advice. This reflects growing concern about a technology that barely existed as a consumer product three years ago.

Looking forward

The consultation closes on 26 May 2026, with the government promising a summer response. An academic panel will assess the evidence alongside international experiences from countries including Australia, which has already moved to restrict social media access for children. The outcomes could set the direction for UK children’s digital safety policy for years.

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