An accessible summary of the UK's pioneering role in digital regulation for children, ongoing policy debates, and civil society initiatives shaping safer online and classroom environments
Who: the United Kingdom. What: a bold new regulatory effort to protect children online. When: rolled out in 2026. Where: across digital platforms, classroom tools and schools. Why: to change how technology treats young people.
The UK has pushed itself to the front of global debates about children’s rights in the digital world.
Lawmakers, researchers, campaigners and bereaved families joined forces to press platforms and education-technology vendors to redesign products with children in mind. The result: the world’s first enforceable Age Appropriate Design Code, followed by the Online Safety Act in 2026.
Together, these laws turn broad principles about privacy and safety into legal duties that companies must meet — and other countries are watching closely.
Where progress shows and where it stalls
Implementation has delivered real gains, but progress is uneven. Regulators and civil-society groups report improvements in default privacy settings and product practices, yet significant gaps remain.
Questions linger about how far regulation can reach, what role schools should play, and how everyday design choices in consumer apps and classroom software shape children’s behaviour and risks.
How the rules work
The Age Appropriate Design Code requires services likely to be used by children to adopt privacy-by-default settings, collect only what’s necessary, and consider different age groups when designing interfaces. The Online Safety Act puts duties on large platforms to identify and manage illegal and harmful content, with special protections for under-18s. Regulators have the power to fine non-compliant companies and demand changes to products and policies.
Enforcement in practice
Regulators have not shied away from action. In early 2026 the Information Commissioner’s Office fined MediaLab, owner of Imgur, for how it handled children’s data — a clear signal that design decisions that compromise privacy and safety can carry tangible penalties. That case made it plain: child-centred protection must be built into product development, not tacked on later.
What designers, product teams and operators need to do
Design teams must bake safeguards into every stage of development. That means privacy-friendly defaults, minimal data collection, age-appropriate interfaces and transparent monetisation. Teams should document their choices, run child-impact assessments, and maintain clear accountability for safety features. Without that, companies face both fines and lasting reputational damage.
Children’s everyday online lives
Most UK children aged 3–17 use digital media every day — watching videos, playing games, messaging friends and using social apps. Nearly half of 11-year-olds who go online already have profiles on services that set a minimum age of 13. These activities can be great for learning and play, but they also open doors to targeted advertising, in‑game purchases and unsafe interactions: grooming, exposure to sexual content, and the circulation of self-generated intimate imagery.
Design choices and their effects
Small interface decisions add up. Autoplay and algorithmic recommendations lengthen sessions. Reward loops and variable-ratio incentives drive repeated engagement. Dark patterns nudge users toward purchases or broader data sharing. For children, the consequences are specific: longer exposure to ads and strangers, impulsive spending on monetisation features, and persistent tracking that builds profiles lasting into adulthood. Social features — friend lists, direct messaging and user-generated content — can facilitate unsolicited contact, accelerate the spread of intimate images, and make parental oversight more complicated.
What responsible design looks like
Good design reduces harm by default. Services should apply privacy-preserving defaults to likely child accounts, limit behavioural nudges, and keep data retention to the minimum needed. Practical steps include age-appropriate interfaces, transparent monetisation, straightforward parental controls, and routine testing with child-safety experts and independent auditors. Measurable controls and clear internal accountability are essential.
Practical steps for parents, guardians and educators
– Parents: prioritise device and account settings that limit data sharing and in-app purchases; put shared devices in common spaces for younger children; talk regularly and openly about online risks.
– Educators and youth workers: teach students to spot persuasive design, understand privacy settings, and report inappropriate contact; pair technical measures with lessons about consent and digital resilience.
– Schools: choose EdTech tools that minimise data collection and avoid mechanics that pressure children to compare or spend.
The UK has pushed itself to the front of global debates about children’s rights in the digital world. Lawmakers, researchers, campaigners and bereaved families joined forces to press platforms and education-technology vendors to redesign products with children in mind. The result: the world’s first enforceable Age Appropriate Design Code, followed by the Online Safety Act in 2026. Together, these laws turn broad principles about privacy and safety into legal duties that companies must meet — and other countries are watching closely.0
The UK has pushed itself to the front of global debates about children’s rights in the digital world. Lawmakers, researchers, campaigners and bereaved families joined forces to press platforms and education-technology vendors to redesign products with children in mind. The result: the world’s first enforceable Age Appropriate Design Code, followed by the Online Safety Act in 2026. Together, these laws turn broad principles about privacy and safety into legal duties that companies must meet — and other countries are watching closely.1
The UK has pushed itself to the front of global debates about children’s rights in the digital world. Lawmakers, researchers, campaigners and bereaved families joined forces to press platforms and education-technology vendors to redesign products with children in mind. The result: the world’s first enforceable Age Appropriate Design Code, followed by the Online Safety Act in 2026. Together, these laws turn broad principles about privacy and safety into legal duties that companies must meet — and other countries are watching closely.2
