The United Kingdom is preparing what sources describe as an "Australia plus" approach to restricting young people's access to social media — a package of measures that would go further than the landmark Australian ban that made global headlines last year.
According to The Guardian, the proposals would bar under-16s from social media platforms, but the scope extends well beyond a simple age gate. Hardline measures would also prevent young users from communicating with strangers on gaming apps, a significant expansion of the rules into spaces that have historically flown under regulators' radar.
The plans reportedly include curfews for under-18s as well, suggesting the government wants to limit not just who young people can interact with online, but when they can be online at all.
Australia passed its own social media age-restriction law in late 2024, becoming one of the first countries to require platforms to actively verify users' ages and block minors — a move that drew fierce debate about enforcement, privacy, and the practical limits of such bans. The UK appears to be using that legislation as a floor rather than a ceiling.
No legislation has been formally introduced yet, and the proposals come from sources rather than official government announcements, so details could still shift before any bill is published.
If enacted, the rules would represent the most sweeping government attempt yet to reshape how an entire generation experiences the internet — and would put significant pressure on gaming companies, messaging platforms, and social networks to overhaul their products for British users.