11 June 2026
Will children be banned from ‘Social Media’? With legislation passed and consultation now closed, which platforms could face restrictions?
In March 2026 the Government launched a wide-ranging consultation on children’s access to the internet, ‘Growing up in the online world: a national consultation’. The consultation followed Australia’s ban on social media for under 16s, and an announcement by the Greek government that they will ban access to social media for children under 15 years old. During the consultation process, the Government did battle in Parliament over the legislation that would empower it to restrict social media use. The legislation has passed, and the consultation has now closed. Over the coming months the Government will have to grapple with a number of key questions that remain unanswered: will children be banned from social media or just certain functionalities? What is ‘social media’ and which platforms would be the subject of restrictions? How will platforms assess users’ ages?
22 May 2026
Extradition without safeguards: the troubling reach of the Crime and Policing Act 2026
Imagine you are woken up one day with a loud knock at the door. It is the police who have a warrant for your arrest pursuant to an extradition request from a European country which you visited on holiday a few years earlier.
13 May 2026
Six takeaways from the King's Speech
In the King's Speech today, the King announced a package of 35 bills for the next parliamentary session, covering everything from housing to immigration.
28 April 2026
“Recruitment Rewired”: what employers need to know about automated recruitment
On 31 March 2026, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) published its Report, “Recruitment Rewired: an update on the ICO’s work on the fair and responsible use of automation in recruitment”, setting out its findings and regulatory expectations for employers using AI‑enabled or automated tools in recruitment.
20 April 2026
The Southport Inquiry recommends extending powers under the Online Safety Act to compel social media companies to provide information
The report on Phase 1 of the Southport Inquiry into the murder of three young girls and injury of 10 others during an attack on a children’s dance club was published on 13 April 2026. The Inquiry has examined the perpetrator’s online activity in the lead up to the attack which demonstrates that he had accessed and viewed a variety of violent content, including through using computer systems at his school.
