[rasmus-kirk]

But they can't legally purchase/access it without the involvement of an adult, unlike social media. You could argue that the parents sanction social media use by giving their kids a phone/computer without any sort of parental controls, but most parents probably have neither the resources nor proper knowledge of how to sufficiently provide a safe platform for their children.

[RobotToaster]

You can't legally buy a mobile contract in the UK if you're under 18. So in most cases the parents did buy it for the child.

[gambiting]

You are aware that pay as you go sims are available from literally every store in the United Kindom, and any child can just buy one within minutes if they are so inclined?

Not to mention that using social media does not require a phone number, and wifi is practically ubiquitous.

[M95D]

Prepaid sims still require presenting an ID card everywhere in Europe. (Since brexit, that might be different in UK, but I very much doubt it.)

[gambiting]

>> (Since brexit, that might be different in UK, but I very much doubt it.)

It's crazy that in 2026 when we literally have the knowledge of the entire world at our fingertips it's still easier to just say "I doubt it" instead of looking it up.

To save you those 5 seconds of googling - no, you don't need to present any ID to buy a sim card in the UK.