Overnight Social Media Curfew for Older UK Teens
The UK government has announced plans to impose an overnight social media curfew on older teenagers, specifically those aged 16 and 17. Under the proposal, apps such as Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube would be set by default to be inaccessible between midnight and 06:00 for this age group. However, teenagers would have the option to opt out by adjusting their account settings.
Alongside the curfew, the government intends to disable "addictive" features like auto-play and infinite scroll by default. These combined measures aim to enhance teenagers' focus, improve sleep quality, and foster better family life.
Despite these intentions, some critics have described the proposals as "piecemeal" and a "missed opportunity" to ensure children's safety online.
The announcement follows a June declaration that under-16s in the UK would face a complete ban from a range of social media 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, criticized the plans, calling them 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 stated.
The government also announced intentions to introduce further measures to help children use AI chatbots safely, including requiring providers to implement regular breaks for users under 18.
It aims to present these new proposals to parliament by the end of 2026, with the goal of implementing them alongside the social media ban for under-16s planned for next spring.
However, some child safety organizations and experts have expressed skepticism regarding the effectiveness of a midnight curfew for older teenagers.
"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.
He added that Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer "leaves office having announced a social media ban without a plan" and that his likely successor Andy Burnham will "inherit a series of missed opportunities."
Professor Sonia Livingstone, an expert in children's digital rights at the London School of Economics, warned that a curfew could negatively impact vulnerable children by restricting their access to social media during times they might need support.
"If it's a curfew on companies using push notifications to wake someone up in the night, absolutely have a curfew," Prof Livingstone told the BBC.
"But if it's a curfew that prevents a child in need of support or help or comfort reaching out to trusted sources in the middle of the night, I think that's quite harmful potentially."
Which social media platforms will be banned for UK under-16s?
Government Trials and Findings
The government conducted trials of various interventions, including overnight curfews, in the homes of families across the UK. The trial involved 300 teenagers who experienced different restrictions: some had their social media apps disabled entirely, others were blocked overnight from 21:00 to 07:00, some had their usage capped to one hour, and a control group experienced no changes. These conditions were observed over one month to compare their effects.
In a report published on Tuesday, the government highlighted that the overnight curfew trial produced the most significant benefits in terms of improved sleep, more engaging and communicative family evenings, and a less burdensome setup for parents. The report also noted that the curfew was the easiest of the tested options to enforce.
"These findings show what parents have been telling us all along: when children spend less time on social media, the benefits are real," Kendall said regarding the trial results.
However, Pete Etchells, professor of science communication at Bath Spa University, cautioned against overreliance on these findings.
"This is a small study that is one part of the puzzle in trying to understand how children and parents will navigate technology restrictions in a practical way," he said.
Concerns About VPNs and Age Verification
The UK government's proposals follow Australia's example, which implemented a social media ban for under-16s in December. Australia's restrictions led to the closure of many teen accounts and prevented new ones from being created on several platforms. However, these measures have faced criticism for ineffectiveness, with many teenagers reporting continued access to banned sites.
This situation, along with concerns about the feasibility of enforcing age verification for under-16s, has raised questions about the UK's approach.
There had also been speculation that the UK government might consider restrictions on virtual private networks (VPNs) to prevent circumventing age checks. On Tuesday, the government cited external research indicating minimal evidence that children use VPNs extensively to bypass age restrictions.
Additional reporting by Chris Vallance.
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