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UK Proposes Voluntary Overnight Social-Media Curfew for 16- and 17-Year-Olds
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall announced a default block on apps from midnight to 6 a.m. for that age group along with automatic limits on infinite scrolling. The steps extend an existing ban for under-16s and add new requirements for AI chatbots. Regulations are scheduled to take effect in spring 2027.
Jul 14, 5:30 PM·1m read6 sources
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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 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.
Colette Collins-Walsh of the 5Rights Foundation said bans and curfews only manage exposure to risk and do nothing to incentivize change in the tech industry. Andy Lulham of Verifymy said the default overnight limit will require platforms to identify and apply different rules to three distinct groups and will need robust age assurance.
