The UK government has initiated a comprehensive consultation to gather public input on enhancing children’s digital safety across social media, gaming platforms, and AI chatbots. This initiative seeks opinions on potential measures such as implementing minimum age requirements for social media use, enforcing overnight curfews, restricting certain AI chatbot features, and addressing the impact of gaming on youth. The consultation aims to balance protective measures with the need to prepare teenagers for the digital world, considering concerns that outright bans might push children towards less regulated online spaces. The government plans to conduct real-world pilots with families and teenagers to test the practicality of proposed restrictions, ensuring that any new regulations are both effective and grounded in real-world evidence. The consultation is open to parents, carers, young people, educators, civil society organizations, academics, and industry stakeholders, with a closing date of 26 May 2026. The government intends to respond in the summer, leveraging new legislative powers to act swiftly on the consultation’s findings, potentially implementing changes within months to adapt to the rapidly evolving digital landscape.
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