technology
UK Plans Default Overnight Social Media Limits for 16- and 17-Year-Olds That Families Can Override
The British government announced a default curfew on certain apps for older teenagers starting next spring. The measure extends an under-16 ban and includes limits on autoplay and personalised feeds. It will be introduced to Parliament later this year.
Jul 14, 6:08 PM·1m read3 sources
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The UK government announced a default midnight to 6am social media curfew for 16- and 17-year-olds. The restriction will activate by default from next spring but can be overridden by families. The policy extends the under-16 social media ban announced last month that covers Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X.
Specific apps subject to the curfew for older teenagers have not been named. Autoplay videos and personalised content feeds will also switch off by default for this age group. Users can restore the features in a couple of clicks.
A public consultation found that parents and children want continued protections from addictive design elements even at age 16. Government research showed 7-10% of children use VPNs to bypass age checks, and officials have not restricted VPN access. In May the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology commissioned Savanta to test three restrictions on 309 participants aged 13 to 17.
The one-month pilot found overnight curfews easiest to enforce and that blocking Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X and Reddit produced the strongest sleep improvements. The government also announced plans for regular breaks for under-18s using AI chatbots. The full measures will be formally introduced to Parliament later this year and, if passed, take effect in Spring 2027.
