UK government to trial social media ban for hundreds of teens

The U.K. government is trialing a social media ban for hundreds of teens, after the country's lawmakers rejected a blanket ban on under-16s using the platforms. The U.K.'s Department for Science, Innovation & Technology said Wednesday that it will run a six-week pilot with various bans ranging from curfews to time caps on certain apps on 300 teenagers across the country. The pilot is part of its broader digital wellbeing consultation launched this year, which has already received 30,000 responses from parents and children on the effect of social media on children's wellbeing, and closes on 26 May. It includes four types of interventions, with one set of parents instructed to use parental controls to remove or disable select apps; a second group to impose a one-hour cap per day for teens on the most popular apps, including Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat; a third set will impose a curfew between 9 p.m. to 7 a.m., and a final group will continue will not restrict social media access at all. This comes after U.K. lawmakers voted against a proposal to include a social media ban for under-16s in an existing piece of legislation, the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill, earlier this month.Shortly after, online safety organizations in the U.K., Ofcom and the Information Commissioner's Office, urged social media firms to ensure the protection of children online through measures, such as better use of age verification technologies and preventing strangers from contacting teens. Australia became the first country to ban social media for under-16-year-olds in December, and other countries began mulling something similar.Spain became the first country in Europe to ban social media for teens in February.France's National Assembly also backed a social media ban for under-15s. It will roll out at the start of the next school year in September if it passes the Senate.A major scientific trial is underway in the U.K. to analyze how reducing social media use impacts adolescent wellbeing, from changes to sleep, stress, body image, and other health factors. The study is co-led by University of Cambridge psychologist Professor Amy Orben and Bradford Institute for Health Research, and will include around 4,000 students between the ages of 12 and 15 from 10 schools. Meta, the parent company behind Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, was found liable by a New Mexico jury on Tuesday for nearly $400 million in damages after it concluded that it failed to protect children on its platforms from predators.A separate trial in Los Angeles is examining whether Meta and YouTube intentionally designed addictive features on their platforms, which allegedly caused mental distress to the plaintiff who used social media as a minor. A jury is now deliberating on whether one or both companies should be held responsible for the harm.Got a confidential news tip? We want to hear from you.Sign up for free newsletters and get more CNBC delivered to your inboxGet this delivered to your inbox, and more info about our products and services.© 2026 Versant Media, LLC.

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