Social media and online safety research
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New Opinium research explores public attitudes towards online safety measures for under-16s, including social media restrictions, AI chatbot access, and financial penalties for platforms hosting harmful content. The findings highlight strong support among parents for stricter protections for young people online, alongside ongoing debate around how effective measures such as social media bans would be in practice.
The research was conducted by Opinium, an independent strategic insight agency specialising in public opinion and behavioural research. Fieldwork was carried out in May 2026 among nationally representative samples of UK adults and parents.
Methodology
Opinium surveyed a nationally and politically representative sample of 2,000 UK adults and 1,110 parents between 20th–22nd May 2026.