You may have seen the news recently: the UK government has confirmed plans to stop under-16s from using social media, as part of a wider package of changes to keep children safer online. Since the first announcement in June, further detail has followed, so we wanted to bring together what is known so far and look at what it might mean for LLE students, host families and teachers.
What has been announced
On 15 June 2026, the government confirmed it will require social media platforms to stop offering their services to under-16s. The approach is modelled on Australia's under-16 ban, which came into force in December 2025, though the UK government has said its version will go further.
The ban is expected to cover 'user-to-user' platforms built around social interaction and posting content, including TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, Facebook and X. Messaging services such as WhatsApp, along with YouTube Kids, educational platforms, e-commerce sites and music platforms, are not expected to be included.
Alongside the ban, the government also wants to restrict features it considers particularly risky for children, such as livestreaming and contact from strangers, across a wider range of services including gaming platforms.
On 15 July 2026, further detail followed. Default overnight curfews, switching off access between midnight and 6am, are planned for 16 and 17-year-olds, along with default limits on features designed to keep users scrolling. The stated aim is to avoid a sudden loss of protection when a young person turns 16.
When the changes will take effect
These measures are not yet in force. The government intends to bring the first regulations to Parliament before the end of 2026, with protections expected to come into effect from spring 2027. Ofcom, the UK's communications regulator, has been asked to report on effective age verification methods to help inform the parliamentary debate.
Responsibility for enforcement sits with the platforms, not with families. Ofcom, rather than parents, will hold companies to account, and platforms that fail to take reasonable steps to exclude under-16 users could face significant fines.
Different views on the plan
The proposal follows a government consultation that received over 116,000 responses. The government said more than nine in ten respondents backed an under-16 ban. The children's charity NSPCC has welcomed the ambition behind the plan, while also calling for platforms to put in place reliable age checks. Esther Ghey, whose daughter Brianna was killed in 2023, said the change could 'potentially save so many children's lives', though she and others have stressed it needs to sit alongside other protections rather than stand alone.
Not everyone agrees that a ban is the best approach. Groups including online civil liberties organisations and several children's rights and safeguarding bodies have raised concerns, arguing that age verification raises its own privacy questions and that a ban alone may not address the root causes of online harm. This remains a debated area of policy, with organisations who share the same goal of protecting children sometimes disagreeing on the best method.
What this means for LLE students
Many of our students are teenagers, including those on our Summer 2:1 programme for 14 to 17-year-olds, so this is a topic we are following closely. As things stand, the changes are not yet in force, and practical detail, including how the rules might apply to visiting international students with existing accounts registered outside the UK, has not yet been confirmed.
In the meantime, it is a sensible moment for students and families to think together about healthy screen time and safe use of social media, both at home and while studying with us. If anything changes that is directly relevant to students travelling to the UK, we will let families and agents know.
What this means for LLE teachers and host families
For our teachers and host families, this news does not change the basic principles that already guide how we welcome young people into a homestay. Keeping students safe, including online, is already part of the trust families place in us. This is a good prompt to keep having open, everyday conversations with students about how they use their phones and social media while they are staying with us, in the same spirit as the wider conversation the government is encouraging for families across the UK.
Getting in touch
We will continue to follow this story as more detail is confirmed, particularly anything that affects students travelling to the UK for their course. If you have any questions about online safety within our homestay programmes, please get in touch with our office and we will be happy to talk it through.
Sources: GOV.UK; House of Commons Library research briefing; Ofcom and ICO statements; NPR; NSPCC and CNBC reporting; Smartphone Free Childhood FAQ.
