Teenagers in the UK aged 16 and 17 will face an overnight social media curfew under government plans announced on Tuesday – but will be able to bypass the restriction by changing their account settings.
The measure, which would apply by default to apps including Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, would block access between midnight and 06:00. The government also wants “addictive” features such as auto-play and infinite scroll to be disabled by default for this age group, saying the combination would improve teenagers’ focus, sleep quality and family life.
“Government proposes midnight-6am social media curfew for 16-17 year olds, but campaigners call opt-out loophole a 'missed opportunity'.”
The announcement follows a ban on under-16s using social media entirely, which was introduced in June. Together, the policies form part of a complex and potentially confusing mix of government and tech firm measures intended to keep young people safe online, alongside optional parental controls and child-only versions of popular sites like YouTube.
But campaigners argue the curfew does not go far enough because teenagers can simply opt out. Ellen Roome, whose 14-year-old son Jools Sweeney died in an online challenge gone wrong in 2022, 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.”
Lorna Woods, professor of internet law at Essex University, said the measure was designed to target “apprehensions from parents and child safety groups”. She told the BBC: “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.”
Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, has previously said it wants age verification to be handled by device manufacturers rather than platforms alone. Apple recently introduced such “device-level” age checks on iPhones and iPads running the latest software, requiring users to verify their age.
Baroness Kidron, a prominent campaigner for safety measures at device rather than app level, criticised 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”.
Online safety minister Kanishka Narayan defended the action, telling BBC One’s Breakfast programme that the combination of the curfew and limits on addictive features would make a difference. The government insists the plans will improve teenagers’ lives, but critics see the opt-out clause as a gaping hole in the policy.