Older teenagers in the UK will be subject to a default overnight social media curfew, the government has announced – but they will be able to switch the setting off themselves. The plan, which applies to 16- and 17-year-olds, would make apps such as Instagram, TikTok and YouTube unavailable between midnight and 06:00 unless the minor changes their account preferences. The government also wants “addictive” features like auto-play and infinite scroll to be disabled by default, saying the combination will improve teenagers’ focus, sleep quality and family life.
Critics, however, argue the opt-out renders the measure almost meaningless. Ellen Roome, whose 14-year-old son Jools Sweeney died in 2022 in an online challenge she believes went wrong, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “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.”
“UK government proposes midnight social media curfew for 16-17-year-olds, but opt-out allows teens to switch it off.”
Lorna Woods, professor of internet law at Essex University, told the BBC the measure appeared designed to target apprehensions from parents and child safety groups. “There have been concerns about the way services keep children and young people engaged on their phones for long periods, and that this can impact their sleep, amongst other effects,” she said.
Baroness Kidron, a prominent campaigner for safety measures at device level rather than app level, was critical of the government’s approach. Speaking to BBC Breakfast, she said it should not be about “banning children from tech” but “banning tech from putting toxic products in the hands of children.”
The announcement follows the government’s June pledge to ban under-16s entirely from a range of platforms. 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, all of which are fundamental to building a happy, healthy and fulfilling adult life.”
Online safety minister Kanishka Narayan defended the action on BBC One’s Breakfast programme, pointing to the combination of the curfew and limiting addictive features as a step forward. Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, has previously said it wants age verification handled by device manufacturers themselves. Apple recently introduced such “device level” age checks on iPhones and iPads, requiring users to verify their ages.
The new policy adds to what critics describe as a confusing mix of measures from the government and tech firms, including optional parental controls and child-only versions of popular sites like YouTube. The curfew will apply by default, but with a single setting change, teenagers can restore full nighttime access – a loophole that campaigners say undermines the entire effort.