The UK government has proposed an overnight social media curfew for 16 and 17-year-olds as part of a wider package of online safety measures aimed at reducing excessive screen time, improving sleep and limiting exposure to addictive platform features.

Under the proposal, social media apps including Instagram, TikTok and YouTube would be unavailable by default to users aged 16 and 17 between midnight and 6:00 a.m., although teenagers would be able to disable the restriction by changing their account settings. The government also plans to switch off features such as auto-play and infinite scrolling by default for the same age group, while introducing safeguards for under-18s using AI chatbots.

The proposal follows the government’s announcement in June that children under 16 would be banned from accessing several social media platforms. If approved by Parliament, the measures are expected to take effect alongside the under-16 ban in spring 2027.

Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said the measures are intended to support young people’s wellbeing by reducing overnight social media use.

She said the changes would 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, all of which are fundamental to building a happy, healthy and fulfilling adult life.”

Kendall added: “We want young people to enjoy the benefits of technology while having the tools to make the online world a place where they can thrive.”

The proposed restrictions have drawn mixed reactions from campaigners, experts and politicians.

Ellen Roome, whose 14-year-old son Jools Sweeney died in 2022 after what she believes was an online challenge gone wrong, argued that allowing teenagers to switch off the curfew weakens the proposal.

“I just think it’s not good enough really just to have a product you can switch off, it’s a bit like offering a 17-year-old a bottle of alcohol and then moving it slightly out of arms reach, they can just drag it back in, I really wish they could go stronger and harder on these things,” she told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

Online Safety Minister Kanishka Narayan defended the government’s approach, saying the combination of the overnight restriction and limits on addictive platform features would strengthen the UK’s online safety framework.

He said “Britain is already going to be the most robust place in the world when it comes to regulating” technology companies.

However, critics questioned whether optional restrictions would achieve the government’s objectives.

Conservative shadow education secretary Laura Trott described the proposals as a “dog’s dinner,” saying: “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.”

Some child safety organisations welcomed the focus on reducing addictive platform design but said broader reforms were still needed.

Andy Burrows, chief executive of the Molly Rose Foundation, said: “While we welcome these measures for older teens, this latest move is yet another piecemeal set of announcements, not the comprehensive plan for children’s safety that’s required.”

Experts also expressed differing views on the potential impact of the curfew. Professor Sonia Livingstone of the London School of Economics supported restrictions on overnight notifications but warned against limiting young people’s ability to seek help online during emergencies.

“But if it’s a curfew that prevents a child in need of support or help or comfort reaching out to trusted sources in the middle of the night, I think that’s quite harmful potentially,” she said.

The government said it does not currently plan to restrict the use of virtual private networks (VPNs), arguing they serve legitimate purposes, but added that the issue would remain under review. It also said research involving 300 teenagers suggested an overnight curfew could improve sleep, although some researchers cautioned that further evidence is needed to assess its long-term effectiveness. (Arise News)

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