Midnight social media curfew proposed for older UK teens
Teens will be able to opt out of the restrictions - campaigners have criticised them as being piecemeal.
By BBC News
The UK government has proposed a default midnight curfew on social media for 16- and 17-year-olds, blocking access between midnight and 6 a.m. unless users opt out.
The plan adds restrictions for older teenagers to existing proposals that would ban under-16s from major social media platforms entirely . Affected users would be automatically blocked from apps during the overnight window unless they change the default setting .
Features designed to encourage prolonged scrolling, such as videos that automatically play one after another, will also be switched off by default for these age groups . The government said the first set of regulations on social media restrictions will be laid before parliament by the end of this year .
Measures are expected to come into force in spring 2027 if approved . The proposal would affect platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, Facebook and X, while messaging apps like WhatsApp and Signal are expected to be excluded .
Campaigners have criticised the curfew proposal as piecemeal, though teens will be able to opt out of the restrictions.The details may still change as the proposal moves through the legislative process .