Leading social media apps used by children in the UK 2023

According to a 2023 study, 50 percent of kids in the United Kingdom used TikTok, making the short-video sharing platform the most popular social media among users aged between four and 18 years. X (formerly known as Twitter) followed with a reach of 43 percent, while Facebook ranked third with a 40 percent audience reach.

Mobile use and kids on apps

Coming in all price ranges, mobile phones have become a common entry point for children to access the wonders of the internet. Despite their ubiquitous usage, many Brits still have doubts about kids using them: as of January 2023, only 15 percent of respondents considered it appropriate to give primary school children smartphones. In 2023, half of UK children between eight and 11 years of age were reported to have a smartphone, while among kids aged between five and seven, 20 percent were reported to own smartphones. Tablets were still the most used device among the youngest users, with almost seven to 10 UK kids aged between three and four using them to watch videos; four in 10 users aged between eight and 11 reported watching videos on mobiles.

A childproof digital environment

In 2021, the Information Commissioner’s Office, the UK's data protection regulation body, approved the Age-Appropriate Design Code. The code covers the design of features and functionalities for global apps, games, connected devices, and news sources to adopt an age-appropriate design. Additionally, apps might be required to get parental permission before collecting personally identifiable information about children. According to a study of 400 apps hosted on the Google Play Store, only five percent required parental permission when collecting data. In April 2023, TikTok was fined 14.5 million euros (or 12.7 million pounds) by the ICO for failing to get parental approval for accounts of kids aged under 13 years.