If you manage talent that involves children – whether that’s a family vlogging channel, a teen lifestyle creator, or a parent-and-kid cooking duo — the last few months have probably had you paying close attention to the news. The conversation around children and social media is moving fast, and it’s getting increasingly complex for anyone working in the creator economy.
Here’s where things stand right now, and what it might mean for you and your clients.
The UK Debate: Not Quite a Ban, But Not Business as Usual Either.
The UK Parliament voted on 9 March 2026 on an amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill that would have introduced a full social media ban for under-16s. MPs rejected it — 307 votes to 173. But here’s the thing: just because a blanket ban was voted down doesn’t mean the issue has gone away. Far from it.
The government has launched its own consultation on children’s social media use, which opened on 2 March 2026 and runs until 26 May. It’s looking at everything from banning social media outright for under-16s to introducing overnight curfews, restricting ‘addictive’ design features like infinite scrolling, raising the digital age of consent from 13 to 16, and limiting children’s access to VPNs. The results are expected by summer, with any legislation likely to follow in 2027.
Meanwhile, the government has secured new regulation-making powers that would allow the Secretary of State to restrict children’s access to specific social media features — or platforms entirely — without needing another full Act of Parliament. So while the ban didn’t pass this time, the infrastructure to implement one quickly is being put in place.
What’s Already Happening Globally
The UK isn’t operating in a vacuum here. Australia became the first country to implement a mandatory under-16 social media ban back in December 2025 — and it’s already had real consequences for creators. YouTube initially resisted being included in the ban (arguing that its educational value set it apart), but eventually complied. Under-16s in Australia can no longer sign in to YouTube, which means young creators can’t upload, manage their channels, or even be seen on the platform.
That’s a significant moment. It shows that even platforms which position themselves as ‘educational’ aren’t immune. And given that Australia’s approach is being watched closely by governments around the world — including France (targeting September 2026 implementation), Denmark, Norway, and various US states — it’s reasonable to assume that what happens there will shape what happens here.
The Gap Nobody Is Talking About Children Who Feature, Not Just Children Who Post
Most of the regulatory debate has focused on children as users — kids with their own accounts scrolling through feeds or posting their own content. But there’s a related issue that’s barely been touched in the current legislation: children who feature in monetised content created and posted by adults.
Think about the enormous world of family YouTube channels, parenting content on Instagram, or family lifestyle accounts on TikTok. In many of these cases, the account holder — and the business — is the parent. The child doesn’t have their own account and isn’t the one posting. They’re a subject, not a user.
Current regulations don’t neatly address this. The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill is focused on children’s access to social media as users. It doesn’t specifically deal with the question of whether children can be filmed and monetised as content participants. Ofcom’s remit similarly focuses on user safety rather than the welfare of children who appear in content.
For talent managers, this is a genuine grey area worth keeping a close eye on. It’s not hard to see how regulation in this space could evolve — particularly as public awareness grows and campaigners begin to highlight the overlap between child safety online and child performer protections that have long existed in film and TV.
What This Could Mean in Practice for Talent Managers
If you represent family creators or creators whose content regularly features children, there are a few practical things worth thinking about now, ahead of any formal regulation:
Brand partnerships are already evolving. Some advertisers are quietly becoming more cautious about campaigns that feature children prominently, particularly in light of the regulatory climate. It’s worth having honest conversations with clients about how their content strategy might need to adapt over the next year or two.
Platform policies may move faster than legislation. We’ve seen with Australia that platforms can make sweeping changes quickly when required. If platforms begin to self-regulate more aggressively — restricting or demonetising content that heavily features children, for example — your clients need to be prepared.
The talent management conversation around child wellbeing is growing louder. Molly Rose Foundation chair Ian Russell has been vocal about the risks of ‘sledgehammer’ approaches that tackle access rather than the underlying design issues. But as that debate matures, so too will scrutiny of the creator economy’s relationship with children.
For now, none of this is cause for panic — but it is cause for preparation. The regulatory environment is shifting, and managers who get ahead of it will be far better placed than those who wait for the law to arrive at their door.
Got thoughts on how the regulation debate is affecting your roster? We’d love to hear from you — reach out to the editorial team.
