The UK government is conducting a six-week trial involving social media restrictions for teenagers as part of a wider review of potential limits on under-16s’ access to such platforms, according to official announcements and government statements.
The pilot involves around 300 participants aged 13 to 17 across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Families are assigned to different groups to test varying levels of restriction, including full bans, time-limited access, overnight curfews, and unrestricted use for comparison purposes.
One group of participants has social media apps disabled entirely, replicating how a ban could operate in practice. Another group is limited to one hour of daily use on platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat. A third group has access restricted during overnight hours, while a control group continues without changes.
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology said the trial is designed to measure how these restrictions affect factors such as sleep, schoolwork, and family life. Participants and their parents are being interviewed at the start and end of the study to assess outcomes and identify any practical challenges, including attempts to bypass controls.
The trial runs alongside a national consultation on children’s digital wellbeing, which has received responses from nearly 30,000 parents and young people. The consultation is scheduled to close on May 26, 2026, and will inform decisions on whether further regulatory steps are introduced.
The initiative follows ongoing parliamentary debate over whether the UK should introduce a blanket ban on social media use for children under 16. Members of the House of Lords have supported such a measure, although it has not been adopted by the House of Commons.
Government officials stated that the pilot is intended to gather evidence before any policy decision is made. Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said the trial is aimed at testing different approaches in real-world conditions to inform next steps.
Authorities indicated that the results will be reviewed alongside consultation responses to determine whether restrictions, including a potential ban, should be implemented.