UK proposes social media curfew for older teens

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The UK government has announced that older teenagers will face an overnight social media curfew, although they will be able to opt out by changing their account settings. This means that apps such as Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube will be unavailable by default to 16 and 17-year-olds between midnight and 06:00. The government also wants "addictive" features such as auto-play and infinite scroll to be disabled, saying that combined with the curfew, these measures will improve teenagers' focus, sleep quality, and family life.

Critics have described the proposals as "piecemeal" and a "missed opportunity" for children's safety. The plans follow the announcement in June that under-16s in the UK would be banned entirely from a range of platforms. "These measures will be crucial in helping young people get the sleep they need, focus on school and college, and spend more quality time with family and friends, all of which are fundamental to building a happy, healthy and fulfilling adult life," said Technology Secretary Liz Kendall.

"We want young people to enjoy the benefits of technology while having the tools to make the online world a place where they can thrive." Laura Trott, the Conservative shadow education secretary, described the plans as a "dog's dinner". "Either they think 16 and 17-year-olds should be on social media or they don't, but curfews they can simply switch off won't achieve anything," she said. The government said further measures would be aimed at helping children use AI chatbots safely - including by making providers introduce regular breaks for under-18s.

It says it will aim to lay its new proposed measures in front of parliament by the end of 2026, with the aim that they take effect alongside its social media ban for under-16s next spring. Some child safety charities and experts have cast doubt on the effectiveness or promise of a midnight curfew for older UK teens. "While we welcome these measures for older teens, this latest move is yet another piecemeal set of announcements not the comprehensive plan for children's safety that's required," said Andy Burrows, chief executive of the Molly Rose Foundation.

Prof Sonia Livingstone, an expert in children's digital rights at the London School of Economics, said a curfew could harm vulnerable children by limiting their access to social media when they might need it most. The government trialled a range of possible interventions, including overnight curfews, in the homes of some families across the UK. It saw 300 teens have their social apps disabled entirely, blocked overnight from 21:00 and 07:00 or capped to one hour's use - with some also seeing no such changes at all - in order to compare their experiences over one month.