PM to unveil new online safety measures for teenagers

Tech companies face a fresh political warning over children’s online safety as Keir Starmer prepares to unveil new measures, with ministers under pressure to prove the move will change platform behavior rather than simply restate duties already in force. The government says firms have had ample warning; the test on Monday is whether the announcement adds new obligations for social media, gaming sites and AI chatbots, or simply sharpens enforcement of rules that already exist.

The government launched its consultation on children’s online wellbeing on 19 January 2026, and the public exercise ran from 2 March 2026 to 26 May 2026. It examined possible age restrictions on social media, gaming sites and AI chatbots, along with limits on addictive design features, risky functionalities and stronger support for parents and families. Ministers are also expected to fold the issue into a wider push to curb constant scrolling, late-night use and algorithmic feeds that keep teenagers locked on to their phones.

Much of the regulatory framework is already on the books. Ofcom finalised more than 40 child-safety measures in April 2025, and the Online Safety Act’s child-safety duties took effect from 25 July 2025. Those duties require stronger age checks, safer feeds and more help and control for children online, while the regulator has already opened enforcement work on age assurance for sites that allow harmful content. That means Monday’s announcement will be judged against an existing regime, not a blank slate.

The scale of the problem is clear from Ofcom’s own research. Around half of children aged 8 to 17 have a social media user age of 16 or older, and just over one in five have a user age of 18 or older, suggesting many underage users are already bypassing platform age limits. Separate figures cited in Parliament show 95% of 13- to 15-year-olds use social media and 96% of that age group have their own profile. Ofcom has also found that 29% of social media users aged 8 to 17 are active, with 85% of active users commenting, 77% sharing and 74% posting.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has said tech companies have had “more than enough time to get their house in order.” The government is also watching Australia’s under-16 social media ban as a possible reference point. For teenagers and parents, the practical question is simple: whether Monday brings new age gates, tighter feed controls and clearer parental safeguards, or another round of warnings aimed at platforms that have already been told to do better.