The UK government is implementing default midnight to 6 a.m. social media curfews and disabling auto-play features for 16- and 17-year-olds. While users can override these restrictions, the measures aim to protect young people's wellbeing and concentration.
The new regulations aim to address concerns about the impact of social media on young people's mental health, sleep, and concentration, though critics argue they do not go far enough.
The UK government is implementing new measures to regulate social media use among teenagers, including a default midnight curfew for 16 and 17-year-olds and the disabling of auto-play features. Announced by Tech Secretary Liz Kendall, these protections are intended to safeguard young people's wellbeing, sleep, and concentration from addictive online content. The curfew, effective from next spring, will be active by default between midnight and 6 a.m. but can be overridden by users. This initiative extends previous restrictions for under-16s and aims to prevent a sudden exposure to highly engaging features when teenagers reach 16. The government is also exploring safeguards for AI chatbots, such as mandatory breaks for users under 18. While trials indicated benefits like improved sleep and concentration, some groups, like the Molly Rose Foundation and 5Rights Foundation, criticized the measures as piecemeal and insufficient for comprehensive child safety online. Concerns were also raised about potential privacy issues and compliance burdens for tech companies regarding age verification.