Current status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 5 February 2026
To ask the Scottish Government whether it is considering a social media ban for those under the age of 16.
The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that children and young people in Scotland are safe and supported in their online lives. We recognise both the benefits and the risks posed by engaging with social media and the importance of robust regulation to protect children from harm.
We are aware that countries such as Australia have implemented a ban and will seek to gather evidence on the effectiveness and impacts of this approach. We will also consult closely with parents, experts, and most importantly children and young people in Scotland, to clarify how we can enable children with access to the benefits of social media while protecting them from the harms.
There is absolutely a need for greater controls to reduce harms to children from social media. Regulation of the internet is reserved, and so any ban on social media would be for the UK Government to consider. To that end, we have engaged with UK Ministers and Ofcom to strengthen online protections for children in the Online Safety Act 2023 and will continue to keep the effectiveness of these measures under review. All of this will help to inform the position we take on whether or not to advocate for a social media ban for children.