UK plans default midnight social media curfew for teens aged 16-17
The plan would also switch off autoplay and infinite scroll by default, after a pilot with more than 300 teens found better sleep and concentration.
- Britain will introduce a default overnight social media curfew for 16 and 17-year-olds, set to take effect next spring alongside a broader ban on social media for under-16s.
- A Government pilot involving 300 teenagers found overnight curfews improved sleep and concentration, prompting officials to include these measures alongside the upcoming under-16 ban.
- Apps like Instagram and TikTok will restrict access for older teenagers between midnight and 6 a.m. by default, while also disabling "addictive" features, though users can manually opt out.
- Conservative shadow education secretary Laura Trott criticized the policy as "another dog's dinner," arguing that allowing teenagers to switch off defaults renders the curfew ineffective.
- The Government plans to lay regulations before parliament by the end of 2026, aiming to integrate these measures with the broader under-16 social media ban scheduled for next spring.
196 Articles
196 Articles
UK proposes overnight social media curfew for older teens
The British government on Tuesday unveiled new online safety measures that would introduce a default overnight social media curfew for 16- and 17-year-olds, expanding its efforts to strengthen protections for minors online.Under the proposal, social
The British government announced that it will introduce a predetermined night curfew on social networks for 16 and 17 year olds, in a new step in its strategy to limit the possible negative effects of digital platforms on the health and well-being of young people.The measure foresees that users of this age group will not be able to access applications between midnight and 6 in the morning, unless they decide to modify the settings set by default…
The British government claims that the measure will improve the lives of teenagers, while critics consider it a "missed opportunity."
The British government is preparing to introduce a rule banning teenagers aged 16-17 from using social media after midnight, alongside a ban on social media use for children under 16, which is expected to come into effect next year.
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