The government is monitoring developments in the UK regarding potential age limits for social media access, but no formal proposals have been brought before the Council of Ministers.
Chief Minister Alf Cannan confirmed that while the Council has “on occasion, referenced the matter,” no formal documents have been presented for consideration.
Mr Cannan outlined existing protections for young people online, including a mobile phone policy introduced in schools in January 2025 which “aims to disrupt bullying and other issues in schools, alongside increasing the social interaction of pupils within the school environment”.
He also highlighted the Sexual Offences and Obscene Duplications Act 2021, introduced in March 2024, which addresses “image based abuse, online grooming, revenge porn, voyeurism and up skirting alongside strengthening provisions related to child protection and sentencing”.
Online Safety
Regarding the UK’s Online Safety Act 2023, Mr Cannan noted it contains “a permissive extent clause which would allow some or all of the Act to be extended to the island, with modifications as necessary.”
When asked whether the government had approached UK counterparts about potential social media bans for under-16s, the Chief Minister responded: “That’s not yet formally been promoted, but absolutely we would, of course, be working very closely with the UK Government to understand the implications, of course, to ensure that our young people are properly protected.”
Mr Cannan added: “The bigger question of an outright ban is more complex, and we are monitoring developments around the globe.”