Under-16 Social Media Restrictions – What Schools Need to Know
There has been considerable coverage of the Government’s proposed restrictions on social media for children under 16, but for schools the practical implications are perhaps more important than the headlines.
The current plan is for under-16s to be prevented from holding accounts on certain social media services, with the changes expected to come into force in Spring 2027. Restrictions are also planned for some higher-risk features, including livestreaming and contact from unknown users.
Importantly, responsibility for age verification and enforcement is expected to sit with the platforms, rather than schools, parents or children themselves.
For schools, this does not remove the need for online safety education. Children will still need support to understand risk, make informed decisions and seek help when something goes wrong. Schools will also need to think about how they respond if a pupil discloses that they are using a service they are technically too young to access.
Links:
UK Government – New rules to protect children online
SWGfL – The Social Media Ban: What Does It Mean for Schools and Professionals?
Smart Glasses – Are Your School Policies Ready?
Smart glasses and other wearable devices are becoming increasingly capable, combining cameras, microphones, communication tools and artificial intelligence in devices that can look very similar to ordinary glasses.
For schools, this raises some practical safeguarding, privacy and data-protection questions. Potential concerns include covert recording, livestreaming, use during assessments, capturing images in sensitive environments and photographs or recordings being passed into AI systems.
There can also be legitimate educational and accessibility uses, so simply banning every wearable device may not always be the best response.
A useful LGfL guide recommends that schools think about what a device can do rather than simply naming particular products. This makes policies more resilient as technology changes.
It may be worth reviewing areas such as acceptable-use policies, visitors, school trips, intimate care, staff conduct and examination procedures.
Link:
LGfL – Smart Glasses and Wearable Technology in Schools
Apple Updates Parental Controls in iOS 27
Apple has introduced a range of new child-safety and parental-control features with iOS 27, iPadOS 27 and its latest software updates.
New options include:
- Time Allowances, allowing parents to set limits across categories such as games, entertainment and social media
- a redesigned Screen Time experience
- greater control over which websites and apps children can access
- improved communication and contact controls
- expanded Communication Safety protections
Families already using Apple’s Family Sharing and Screen Time features may therefore want to revisit their settings after updating their devices.
Links:
Apple – New child safety features now available
Apple – Child Safety
Apple Support – Screen Time and parental controls
Free Resource – Mind Your Feed
Understanding algorithms is becoming an increasingly important part of online safety and media literacy.
Mind Your Feed is a free, evidence-informed classroom resource aimed at Years 7 and 8. It provides ready-to-use materials that help pupils explore how recommendation systems and online feeds can influence what they see and experience.
Topics include algorithms, identity, mental health, news, artificial intelligence, body image, entertainment and consumerism.
This could be particularly useful for schools looking for practical activities that move beyond simply telling children that “algorithms choose what you see” and instead help them explore what that actually means.
Link:
Mind Your Feed – Free classroom resources
Online Sexual Abuse – What Children Are Telling Childline
New NSPCC figures provide an indication of the platforms children are mentioning when talking to Childline about experiences of online sexual abuse.
Between April 2025 and March 2026, in counselling sessions where online sexual abuse was the main concern:
- Snapchat was mentioned in 324 sessions
- TikTok in 234
- Instagram in 197
- Discord in 92
- WhatsApp in 39
Snapchat mentions increased by 19% compared with the previous year.
These figures do not tell us which platforms are the most dangerous or provide a measure of overall prevalence. They show which services children mentioned during relevant Childline counselling sessions.
For schools, the findings are another reminder that grooming, sexual extortion and other forms of sexual abuse can take place through the same mainstream apps children use routinely for communication and socialising.
Link:
NSPCC – Childline data on platforms linked to online sexual abuse
For Parents and Carers – iOS 27 Child Safety Features
If your child uses an iPhone or iPad, Apple’s latest software includes a number of new parental-control and safety features.
These include improved Screen Time controls, limits across categories of apps, website controls and additional Communication Safety protections.
The short video below provides a useful overview, while Apple’s own guidance explains how parents can set up and manage the controls in more detail.
Links:
YouTube – iOS 27 child safety features
Apple – Child Safety
Apple Support – Screen Time and parental controls
For Parents and Carers – Supporting Children with Additional Needs Online
Children with additional needs may not always recognise when an online situation has become unsafe, or they may find it difficult to explain what has happened.
They may also communicate distress differently, become overwhelmed by questions or worry about losing access to a device or online activity that is particularly important to them.
This short video gives parents practical advice on supporting a child calmly when something has gone wrong online and helping them feel able to share what has happened.
Link:
YouTube – Supporting children with additional needs when something goes wrong online
For Parents and Carers – Understanding the Under-16 Social Media Changes
There has been a lot of discussion about the proposed social media restrictions for children under 16, but the changes are not yet in force.
The Government currently expects implementation in Spring 2027, and responsibility for checking children’s ages is intended to sit with the platforms.
SWGfL has produced a useful overview explaining what is currently proposed and what the changes may mean for schools, professionals and families.
Links:
UK Government – New rules to protect children online
SWGfL – What Does the Social Media Ban Mean?
