"Growing up in the online world"
Regulatory tracker and consultation guide
The UK government is seriously considering age restrictions for some online services. The law to enable them is close to being finalised and the restrictions will be directly informed by the ongoing “Growing up in the online world” consultation (closing 26 May). This isn’t just a social media issue – they are looking at all online services and whether their features and functions could pose a risk to children’s wellbeing.
To be very clear: video games are directly covered by the consultation and will almost certainly be in scope of new regulations.
With so many moving parts and such a broad remit, it’s hard to keep track of what’s going on and get to grips with how this could affect you.
How it unfolded and where it’s headed
January
March
April
May
19th
We gave this completely free advice in our January edition of The Loop
21st
Check out our Explainer article and what we said in The Loop about it
15th
February
The Consultation closes
26th
Summer 2026
Government response to consultation
Government statement on progress with making regulations and timeline for creation
October/November
Further dates
First regulations could be in place
Q1 2027
Commons votes to adopt the new version
We simplify the new version in this excellent Explainer article
15th
10th
Commons tables a new version of the ‘age restriction’ powers
Lords to vote on Commons age restriction powers
Late April
Legislation to be finalised and enacted
Late April/Early May
Have a look at what we had to say in this PocketGamer.Biz article, then read our free advice in The Loop
9th
2nd
Read our excellent Explainer article on the update
25th
Check out our summary on the topic in The Loop
Check out our free advice in The Loop
25th
Powers for online age restrictions are being put into the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill (CWSB), which has been in development since December 2024. The first ‘social media ban’ was inserted in January 2026 by the House of Lords, whereas the House of Commons prefers ‘online age restriction’ powers. This timeline outlines how the proposed law has developed between the Houses and key milestones for the future.
Where have we got to and who needs to know?
If you need to know more (including whether you, er, need to know more) then here’s our collection of advice articles on what the legislation and consultation are about and who it’s relevant to. You, probably.
What does it mean for my game?
Every game is different (which is part of the trouble) so each will be affected in its own way. We’ve put together some guides on what the consultation and potential regulations could mean for some core types of game – mix and match to find what fits you best.
