Despite new regulations, some 70% of children aged 8-12 still have social media accounts
A new report from CyberSafe Kids reveals that 70% of children aged 8-12 still maintain social media accounts despite recent regulations. The findings suggest that current age-assurance measures and legal frameworks like the Digital Services Act are failing to prevent underage access.
Why it matters
This highlights a significant gap between digital safety legislation and actual enforcement, raising concerns about child protection in the digital age.
THERE HAS BEEN no reduction in underage children’s access to social media platforms, despite legal obligations which came into effect last July designed to prevent this, according to a new report.
The report, entitled ‘The Year Little Changed’, was published by CyberSafe Kids this morning. It surveyed over 7,000 children in the academic year 2025-26.
It found that 70% of children aged between 8-12 still have their own accounts on social media apps that are designated for children aged 13 or over - a figure that is almost unchanged from the level recorded in July 2025.
Some 63% of those aged 8-12 still have access to YouTube, up from 60% the previous year, while 21% said they still had a Snapchat account, down from 25%. The number using TikTok also fell from 23% to 20%.
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