UK Government Proposes Overnight Social Media Restrictions for Teens Aged 16-17

The UK government has announced plans to implement an overnight social media curfew for older teenagers, restricting access to platforms like Instagram, TikTok and YouTube between midnight and 06:00 for users aged 16 and 17.

Under the proposals, these applications would be unavailable by default during nighttime hours, though users could modify their account settings to opt out of the restrictions.

The government also intends to disable “addictive” features such as auto-play and infinite scroll by default, arguing that these combined measures will enhance teenagers’ concentration, sleep quality and family relationships.

Critics have dismissed the proposals as inadequate and poorly conceived.

These plans build upon June’s announcement of a complete social media ban for under-16s in the UK.

“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 approach as inconsistent policy-making.

“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.

Additional measures targeting safe AI chatbot usage for children are planned, including mandatory break intervals for users under 18.

The government aims to present these proposals to parliament by the end of 2026, intending for them to coincide with the under-16s social media ban scheduled for next spring.

Child safety organizations have raised concerns about both the effectiveness and potential consequences of the midnight curfew.

“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” – with his likely successor Andy Burnham to “inherit a series of missed opportunities”.

Meanwhile Professor Sonia Livingstone, an expert in children’s digital rights at the London School of Economics, warned that such curfews could inadvertently harm vulnerable young people.

“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.”

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