UK Introduces Default Midnight Social Media Curfew for 16-17 Year Olds to Combat Online Harms
Key Takeaways
- ▸Default midnight to 6am social media block for 16-17 year-olds launching spring 2025, but easily overridable by users
- ▸Addictive features like autoplay and infinite scroll will be turned off by default for older teenagers
- ▸Government chose overridable defaults over mandatory restrictions to avoid a 'cliff edge' when teens turn 16
Summary
The UK government, through technology secretary Liz Kendall, has announced plans to encourage 16- and 17-year-olds to follow a midnight to 6am social media curfew starting next spring. The measure builds on the previously announced ban for under-16s and aims to protect teenagers from online harms, particularly sleep disruption caused by late-night scrolling. The curfew will be the default setting on major platforms including Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and X, though users can override the restriction with a few clicks.
The announcement also includes turning off addictive features by default for older teenagers, such as autoplay video and infinite-scrolling feeds. The government selected curfews over other restrictions—such as 15-minute daily time limits or complete app deletion—based on research by Savanta that found curfews to be the most manageable and effective at improving sleep quality. Exempt apps include YouTube, WhatsApp, Teams, and Google Classroom. However, internet safety campaigners criticized the measures as insufficient, questioning whether easily-overridable defaults represent meaningful protection.
- Savanta research found curfews most effective for improving sleep compared to daily time limits or app deletion
- Safety advocates including 5Rights Foundation criticized announcement as 'piecemeal' and said defaults can be easily circumvented
