UK proposes overnight social media curfew for 16, 17-year-olds

Teenagers aged 16 and 17 in the UK could soon face an overnight social media curfew under government proposals aimed at reducing excessive screen time and limiting exposure to addictive online features.The plans would introduce default settings that prevent users in this age group from accessing social media between midnight and 6am. Other features designed to keep users engaged, including infinite scrolling and algorithm-driven content feeds, would also be switched off by default.The measures form part of Labour’s broader efforts to strengthen online protections for young people. Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said: “These measures will be crucial in helping young people get the sleep they need, focus on school and college, and spend more quality time with family and friends.”The government said consultations with parents and teenagers indicated support for maintaining certain safeguards as young people gain more independence at 16. A pilot involving more than 300 participants also suggested that limiting overnight access to social media could help improve sleep patterns and concentration, cited by Sky News.The curfew proposal follows recent plans to introduce a ban on social media use for children under 16, expected to come into force next spring. The ban is based on a model used in Australia and is likely to apply to platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube, while messaging services like WhatsApp would not be included.Alongside these measures, the government plans to publish guidance on the safe use of artificial intelligence and expand media literacy education in schools from September as part of its wider online safety strategy.