Petition · Department for Culture, Media and Sport
Raise the age of digital consent from 13 to 16
Closed
49 signatures
What the petition asks
Raise the age for digital consent from 13 to 16. GDPR contains specific protections for children – defined as under 16 years of age – such as stating that consent when processing a child’s data can only be obtained with parental authorisation.
We do not believe that the majority of children, at the age of 13, appreciate the consent given to companies when granting permission to handle their data. As parents are legally responsible for their children's actions at this age, we believe it seems wholly inappropriate that children should be given the responsibility at such a young age. GDPR contains specific protections for children - defined as under 16 years - but the UK lowered this to the age of 13 when UK GDPR was introduced.
Timeline
| 7 Apr 2025 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 7 Oct 2025 | Closed to new signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
49
Status
Closed
Department
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
Opened
7 Apr 2025
Closed
7 Oct 2025
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 19 Aug 2026.