The UK government has proposed a night-time social media curfew for teenagers aged 16 and 17 as part of a broader effort to promote healthier online habits and improve digital safety for young users.
Under the proposal, social media platforms including Instagram, TikTok and YouTube would be set to automatically restrict access for users aged 16 and 17 between midnight and 6 a.m. Teenagers would be able to change their account settings to opt out of the default restrictions.
Plan Targets Sleep And Online Well-Being
The proposed measures also call for addictive platform features, such as autoplay and infinite scrolling, to be disabled by default for users under the age of 18.
According to the UK government, the changes are intended to improve teenagers’ sleep, concentration and family life by reducing overnight social media use.
Online Safety Measures Under Review
The proposals are expected to be presented to Parliament later this year. Officials also plan to introduce mandatory breaks for AI chatbots used by people under the age of 18.
The new measures would complement previously announced plans to tighten online safety rules for children, including restrictions affecting younger users.
Campaigners Call For Stronger Rules
The announcement has drawn mixed reactions. Ellen Roome, whose 14-year-old son Jules Sweeney died in 2022 after participating in an online challenge, argued that allowing teenagers to disable the restrictions themselves would limit the effectiveness of the policy.
She said stronger safeguards were needed to better protect young users from harmful online content and excessive social media use.
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