UK to introduce midnight social media curfew for teens aged 16, 17

The UK government has unveiled plans to introduce an overnight social media curfew for older teenagers as part of a sweeping crackdown on addictive online features.

Under the new proposals announced by Technology Secretary Liz Kendall, default settings will block 16 and 17-year-olds from accessing social media platforms between midnight and 6 am.

According to Reuters reporting, the overnight restriction is designed to protect older teenagers from the negative impacts of late-night scrolling without completely blocking their access.

Along with the voluntary curfew, platforms will be required to turn off high-risk features such as infinite scrolling, autoplay videos, and algorithmic feeds by default for users under 18.

"Even as young people gain greater independence at 16, they should still be protected from the most addictive online features that can hurt their wellbeing," Kendall said in a statement.

She added that the measures will be crucial in helping young people get the sleep they need, focus on school and college, and spend quality time with family and friends.

The proposal follows a government-backed trial of more than 300 families, which showed that setting limits on overnight screen time significantly improved sleep and focus among teenagers.

The new rules, which also include mandatory usage breaks on artificial intelligence chatbots for minors, are expected to be put before parliament by the end of this year for implementation in spring 2027.

The curfew builds on the government’s plan, announced last month, to implement a total social media ban for children under 16.

While that ban will completely block under-16s from platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, the rules for older teens are designed as adjustable defaults that users can manually turn off.

This voluntary aspect has already drawn sharp criticism from political opponents.

Conservative shadow minister Laura Trott dismissed the effectiveness of the policy, arguing that curfews teenagers can simply switch off will not achieve anything.

Children's charities have also expressed concern over whether the measures go far enough.

National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children chief executive Chris Sherwood welcomed the default restrictions but warned they are not a complete solution.

He stated that unless they are followed by stronger measures, they will be a sticking plaster that fails to address the addictive design features driving high screen time.