The government has launched a new consultation exploring the potential of a social media ban for children in the UK.

As part of the move, ministers will visit Australia to learn “first-hand” from their approach after the country introduced a social media ban for under-16s in December last year.

The government said that the consultation will look at whether a social media ban for children would be effective and if one was introduced how best to make it work.

Last week, Australia's eSafety Commissioner announced that during the first half of December major social media platforms cut access to around 4.7 million accounts belonging to under-16s across the country.

Following the launch, the country's regulator said that it is now focused on monitoring and enforcement, with the data released providing an early indication that social media sites are taking “meaningful action”.

In addition to the UK consultation, as part of a set of proposed measures by the government, immediate action includes Ofsted checking school mobile phone policy on every inspection, with schools expected to be phone-free by default following this announcement.

The government will introduce "tougher" guidance for schools on mobile phones, making it "even clearer" that schools need to be phone-free environments and that pupils should not have access to their devices during lessons, break times, lunch times, or between lessons.

Ofsted will examine both schools’ mobile phone policies and how effectively they are implemented when judging behaviour during inspections, with schools that are struggling getting one-to-one support from Attendance and Behaviour Hub schools that are already effectively implementing phone bans.

While nearly all schools already have mobile phone policies in place, 58 per cent of secondary school pupils have reported mobile phones being used without permission in at least some lessons, rising to 65 per cent for key stage four pupils.

"We have been clear that mobile phones have no place in our schools but now we’re going further through tougher guidance and stronger enforcement," said education secretary Bridget Phillipson. "Mobile phones have no place in schools. No ifs, no buts.

"Our Attendance and Behaviour Hubs will support schools that are struggling to effectively implement phone bans so all our children can learn in phone-free environments."

The government also plans to support families by producing evidence-based screen time guidance for parents of children aged five to 16, with guidance for parents of under-fives set to be published in April.

As well as this, a consultation on children’s use of technology – backed by a "national conversation" – will seek views from parents, young people and civil society, with the first events in a nationwide tour to be held soon. The government will respond to the consultation in the summer.

"Through the Online Safety Act, this government has already taken clear, concrete steps to deliver a safer online world for our children and young people," said technology secretary, Liz Kendall. "These laws were never meant to be the end point, and we know parents still have serious concerns.

"That is why I am prepared to take further action. Technology has huge potential - to create jobs, transform public services, and improve lives. But we will only seize on that potential if people know they and their children are safe online."

Following the launch of the Online Safety Act, eight million people now access adult sites with age checks every day, with the number of visitors to pornography sites decreasing by a third since the rules came into force in July 2025.

Children encountering age checks online has also risen from 30 per cent to 47 per cent since the new rules took effect.

Ofcom launched investigations into over 80 pornography websites in 2025, fining those that have failed to protect young people online.

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