UK Proposes Voluntary Midnight Social-Media Curfew for 16- and 17-Year-Olds

Technology Secretary Liz Kendall announced plans for a voluntary overnight social-media curfew for 16- and 17-year-olds. The default setting will block access to apps between midnight and 6 a.m. unless users change it.

Infinite-scrolling and algorithmic-feed features will also turn off automatically for this age group. Sixteen- and 17-year-olds will keep the option to disable the restrictions. Kendall said the steps will prevent under-18s from sudden exposure to the most addictive features when they first use social media.

A government pilot with more than 300 teenagers and parents found that overnight curfews improved sleep and concentration. The announcement came days before the Makerfield by-election, which Andy Burnham won. It builds on an earlier government decision to ban social media for under-16s on Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X.

That ban excludes WhatsApp and Signal and is scheduled to start next spring. The government also plans to require under-18s to take regular breaks while using AI chatbots and is considering a ban on chatbots that give dangerous, misleading or unverified mental health advice to children.

New guidance on safe AI use will be published, and media-literacy teaching will be strengthened in schools from September.

Regulations will be laid before Parliament by the end of 2026 and take effect in spring 2027. Conservative shadow education secretary Laura Trott called the proposals a “dog’s dinner” and said curfews that users can switch off will not achieve anything. NSPCC chief executive Chris Sherwood said the measures will go some way toward improving experiences but will not be enough on their own.