ICO statement on UK government announcement about social media restrictions for under 16s

The government has announced plans to protect children online by restricting access to social media platforms.

Working to keep children safe online is a key priority for the ICO. Our response to the government consultation sets out how we are already taking action to ensure social media platforms are preventing access to underage users on their platforms under data protection law. This includes our enforcement action against Reddit and action against Imgur following their failure to apply robust age assurance mechanisms and their processing of personal information of children under 13 without a lawful basis. Our Children's Code Strategy update provides more details on our work in this area.

We will continue to engage with government, as well as other regulators, to ensure that any legislative changes deliver robust protection for children online. Whilst government develop its plans, the existing law still applies, and organisations should be clear that their data protection obligations remain.