New Delhi: The United Kingdom government has announced plans to introduce an overnight social media curfew for 16- and 17-year-olds. Under the proposal, young people would not be able to access social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, YouTube, and X between midnight and 6 am.
The restriction, however, would not be mandatory. Social media platforms would automatically enable the overnight curfew by default, but 16- and 17-year-olds would be able to switch it off if they choose.
The proposal is part of a set of online safety measures expected to be introduced in parliament later this year and implemented in 2027. It follows the government’s June announcement that it would ban social media access for children under the age of 16.
In addition to the overnight curfew, the government wants social media platforms to automatically disable features that encourage excessive screen time for 16- and 17-year-olds. These include autoplay videos and infinite personalised content feeds that keep users scrolling. While these features would be turned off by default to encourage healthier online habits, young people would be able to re-enable them if they wish.
United Kingdom Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said the measures are intended to help teenagers get enough sleep, stay focused at school or college, and spend more time with family and friends.
Kendall said the government wants young people to benefit from technology while ensuring they have the tools to make the online world a place where they can thrive.
The government says the proposals are designed to ensure online protections do not abruptly end when a child turns 16. Officials believe default settings can encourage healthier behaviour without removing young people’s freedom of choice.
Online Safety Minister Kanishka Narayan said the voluntary approach had been trialled with more than 300 teenagers and their parents. According to the government, most participants left the default settings unchanged, resulting in reduced social media use at night, better sleep, and improved focus.
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Child safety groups not entirely enthused
The proposals have received a cautious welcome from child safety organisations. The NSPCC, one of the UK‘s leading children’s charities, described the measures as a positive step but warned they were unlikely to solve the problem on their own. The charity said more should be done to address addictive app design and excessive screen time.
Children’s Commissioner for England Rachel de Souza also welcomed the proposals, saying many 16- and 17-year-olds want to reduce their social media use but struggle because of the platforms’ addictive features.
De Souza added that the success of the policy would depend on how effectively it is implemented.
The government is also considering other digital safety reforms. These include regulating artificial intelligence chatbots, introducing mandatory breaks for children using AI services, taking action against chatbots that provide harmful or misleading mental health advice, and updating school lessons to cover artificial intelligence, misinformation, algorithmic bias, and recognising violent or misogynistic online content.
The proposals have also drawn criticism. Digital rights organisations, including the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Amnesty International, and the American Civil Liberties Union, argue that age-based restrictions could limit young people’s access to valuable information, including sex education and LGBTQ+ resources. Critics also question how effective the measures will be if 16- and 17-year-olds can simply disable the restrictions.
Questions also remain over enforcement. Australia, which introduced a blanket ban on social media for children under 16, has faced significant implementation challenges. Research suggests many teenagers have found ways to bypass the restrictions despite the law.
The UK‘s approach seeks to strike a balance between protecting 16- and 17-year-olds and preserving their freedom of choice online. Whether default curfews and reduced addictive features will meaningfully change young people’s online behaviour will only become clear after the measures are implemented in 2027.
(Edited by Prasanna Bachchhav)