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The UK government announced on Tuesday that it will introduce an overnight social media curfew for 16- and 17-year-olds, prohibiting access to platforms like Instagram and Facebook between midnight and 6:00 am.
This decision follows Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s previous announcement of a total social media ban for children under 16, which will take effect in early 2027.
Under the new regulations, the government will also require tech platforms to disable addictive features, such as infinite scrolling, by default for older teenagers.
However, users will retain the ability to manually turn these settings off, prompting critics to question the effectiveness and enforcement of the policy.
The measures also introduce restrictions on artificial intelligence chatbots, requiring users under 18 to take regular usage breaks.
Technology Minister Liz Kendall defended the crackdown, stating that the measures protect older teenagers from addictive online features, promote better sleep, and encourage family time.
While some children’s charities welcomed the protections as long overdue, others warned that the restrictions might drive teenagers to bypass the system and use the internet in unsafe ways.
The UK joins a growing list of nations implementing strict youth social media regulations.
Australia passed a ban for users under 16 in December, while Canada, the United Arab Emirates, and Indonesia have also initiated similar restrictions to curb adolescent app addiction.
