Britain plans default overnight social media curfew for 16- and 17-year-olds

London, United Kingdom. Britain plans to introduce a default overnight social media curfew for users aged 16 and 17, requiring them to change app settings to access platforms between midnight and 6 a.m.

The proposal follows the government’s announcement a month earlier of plans for a broad social media ban for children under 16.

Default restrictions

Under the planned rules, affected users would be blocked from using social media apps overnight unless they alter the default setting. Features designed to keep users scrolling would also be switched off by default.

Technology Minister Liz Kendall said the measures would help young people get enough sleep, focus on school and college, and spend more time with family and friends.

Company obligations

Online Safety Minister Kanishka Narayan said technology companies would be legally required to implement the curfew.

“We’re forcing the tech companies to do it,” Narayan told LBC Radio on Wednesday. He said companies would need to carry out more robust age checks and could face “very severe regulatory sanction” if they failed to do so.

Instagram owner Meta, TikTok parent ByteDance and Google, which owns YouTube, did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.

Political response

The restrictions reflect concerns among parents and policymakers about the effects of social media on young people’s mental and physical health.

Laura Trott, the opposition Conservative Party’s education policy chief, described the plans as a mess.