UK proposes social media curfews and feature bans for older teenagers

This move signals a shift from total prohibition for children to aggressive 'design-by-default' constraints for adolescents, specifically targeting the engagement mechanics that drive platform retention. For streaming services and social networks, this means infrastructure must now support granular, age-verified feature gating and time-based access control rather than simple binary blocks. The alignment with pending EU 'social media+' recommendations suggests a coordinated Western regulatory front that places the burden of proof on platforms to demonstrate safety before deploying engagement-heavy algorithms. Operators should prepare for a Spring 2027 compliance window, monitoring whether Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s administration maintains these specific DSIT proposals following recent cabinet reshuffles.

The UK’s trajectory mirrors a global regulatory surge aimed at platform mechanics. According to the Australian Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts, Australia became a primary case study in December 2025 by enacting a world-first ban on social media for children under 16. A March 2026 compliance update from the Australian government indicated that while a 'significant number' of accounts were deactivated, enforcement remains a challenge, prompting the UK to consider more robust age assurance technologies including facial analysis and credit card hooks.

Contemporaneously, the European Commission is accelerating its own framework. Per EU Reporter, in July 2026, President Ursula von der Leyen received expert recommendations for a tiered 'social media+' ban that would restrict independent access to services for children under 13 across the single market. This report specifically targets 'predatory algorithms' and proposes that member states be allowed to set higher age thresholds beyond 13, potentially harmonizing with the UK's stricter under-16 stance.

Domestically, Ofcom is intensifying oversight ahead of the 2027 deadlines. Following its May 2026 regulatory roadmap update, the agency named the deactivation of unsafe recommendation feeds and the prevention of image-based abuse as top priorities. Ofcom has signaled its intent to use technology notices to force compliance if platforms fail to mitigate risks associated with 'nudification' apps and AI-generated deepfakes, which became priority offences under the Crime and Policing Act 2026 in June.