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 [summary]. The details may still change as the proposal moves through the legislative process .