United Kingdom to impose midnight social‑media curfew for 16‑17‑year‑olds

The British government has announced plans to automatically block major social‑media platforms – Instagram, TikTok and YouTube – for users aged 16 and 17 between midnight and 06:00, as part of a broader effort to improve young people’s wellbeing. The proposal also calls for default disabling of features such as autoplay and infinite scrolling that are considered addictive. While the restrictions will be applied by default, teenagers can lift them by changing account settings.

The curfew builds on a June ban that already prevents children under 16 from using a range of social‑media services and will be debated in Parliament, with implementation slated for spring 2027. Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said the measures are “crucial in helping young people get the sleep they need, focus on school and spend more quality time with family”. Online Safety Minister Kanishka Narayan added that the rules would make Britain one of the world’s strongest regulators of tech companies.

Critics and some teenagers argue that the ability to opt‑out undermines the policy’s effectiveness. Interviews with 16‑ and 17‑year‑olds in the UK reveal mixed views: some see the curfew as pointless if they can simply switch it off, while others welcome the default limits on endless scrolling. The government also plans new safeguards for AI chatbots used by under‑18s.