Sixteen- and 17-year-olds in the UK will face an overnight social media curfew from next spring – but critics, including teenagers themselves, say the measure is pointless because they can simply switch it off.
Under the government's plan, apps such as Instagram, TikTok and YouTube will be set to be unavailable by default between midnight and 06:00. The government also wants "addictive" features such as auto-play and infinite scroll to be disabled, claiming the measures will improve teenagers' focus, sleep quality and family life.
“Government announces social media curfew for 16-17 year olds but opt-out renders it 'meaningless'.”
But the curfew is not mandatory. Teenagers can opt out by changing their account settings, a loophole that has drawn sharp criticism.
Ellen Roome, whose 14-year-old son Jools Sweeney died in 2022 in what she believes was an online challenge gone 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."
Harvey, a 16-year-old from the south-east, agreed. Speaking to the Guardian, he said: "Having it as an opt-out renders the whole thing meaningless, because if someone is addicted to Instagram and there's a curfew but they can turn it off, they will turn it off." He also voiced concerns about age verification eroding online anonymity, and noted that during his GCSE exam season he used YouTube tutorials late at night for studying, blurring the line between social media and productive use.
The new restrictions follow a June announcement that under-16s would be banned entirely from a range of platforms, adding to a mix of policies from the government and tech firms. Lorna Woods, professor of internet law at Essex University, told the BBC the measure was designed to target apprehensions from parents and child safety groups, citing worries about how services keep young people engaged on their phones for long periods, impacting sleep and other effects.
Baroness Kidron, a prominent campaigner for safety measures, was critical, telling BBC Breakfast that the focus should be on "banning tech from putting toxic products in the hands of children" rather than banning children from tech. Online safety minister Kanishka Narayan defended the government's approach on the same programme, but the question remains: will a curfew that can be turned off ever change teenagers' habits?
