UK online age restrictions
Regulatory tracker
The UK government will use new Online Safety Act powers to ban social media and 'stranger contact' features for under-16s. The specific regulations are being developed by the end of the year, directly informed by the “Growing up in the online world” from earlier this year.
This isn’t just a social media issue – many video games will be in scope of new regulations that restrict under-16s from player-to-player chat.
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. So, we built this lovely tracker page to keep tabs on the situation.
How it unfolded and where it’s headed
The power to create online age restrictions comes from the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act (CWSA), following a prolonged series of debates and amendments between January and April this year. This timeline details how the legislation evolved through the Parliamentary process, the development of the “Growing up in the online world” national consultation, and the next milestones as the government prepares to draft the secondary legislation required to enforce the proposed bans in spring 2027.
Expected developments
July 2026
May 2026
26th - "Growing up in the online world" consultation closed
April 2026
March 2026
January to February 2026
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.
