UK Government Proposes Overnight Social Media Curfew for Teenagers to Tackle Digital Harm
- The UK government has announced plans for a social media curfew for teenagers, introducing a default lockout from midnight to 6am for 16- and 17-year-olds
- The move is part of wider efforts to protect young people from digital harm, following a blanket ban on under-16s set to begin in 2027
- While ministers say the curfew empowers teenagers, critics argue it may be too easy to bypass and risks being only a temporary fix
The United Kingdom has unveiled plans for an overnight social media curfew aimed at protecting older teenagers from digital harm.
The Labour government announced the proposal on Wednesday, introducing a six-hour default lockout from midnight to 6am for 16- and 17-year-olds on platforms such as Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.
Source: Getty Images
Social media curfew for teenagers
According to Al Jazeera, under the new proposal, highly engaging features like autoplay videos and infinite scrolling would also be disabled by default for this age group. Ministers say the move is designed to encourage better sleep and focus among adolescents.
This initiative builds on a June announcement by outgoing Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who confirmed a blanket ban on social media for children under 16, scheduled to take effect in 2027.
Global crackdown on teen social media use
The UK’s approach mirrors a growing international trend. In December, Australia introduced a world-first ban on social media for under-16s, which came into force on December 10, 2025. Despite the restrictions, studies revealed that many teenagers were able to bypass the ban, prompting the Australian government to consider tightening the rules further.
Government defence of voluntary curfew
UK Secretary for Online Safety Kanishka Narayan defended the voluntary nature of the curfew, rejecting criticism that teenagers would simply disable the restrictions. He told Sky News:
“We want to empower our teenagers,” Narayan said, citing data from a pilot scheme and previous voluntary platform trials where more than 90 percent of teenagers kept the restrictive default settings active.
He added:
“The evidence base is clear, the motivation is very clear, and I wouldn’t do the disservice to teenagers of saying they’re all going to switch it off.”
Criticism from opposition and child safety advocates
Not everyone is convinced. Laura Trott, education spokesperson for the opposition Conservative Party, dismissed the plans as ineffective:
“Either they think 16- and 17-year-olds should be on social media or they don’t, but curfews they can simply switch off won’t achieve anything.”
Meanwhile, the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) welcomed the development but warned it was only a temporary fix. Chief executive Chris Sherwood said that without “further, stronger measures”, the policy would act merely as a “sticking plaster” that fails to tackle addictive algorithms driving excessive screen time.
The proposals must still be formally legislated. As they represent some of the final steps of Starmer’s administration, the responsibility for implementation is expected to fall to his anticipated successor, Andy Burnham.
Source: Getty Images
Starmer announces social media ban for children under 16
Legit.ng earlier reported that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced that children under 16 will soon be banned from using social media, a move he said is necessary to protect young people from harm and unhappiness.
The announcement was made on Monday, June 15, through videos posted on his X and Instagram accounts, where he explained that platforms are exposing children to addictive and dangerous content.
Source: Legit.ng
