Britain will introduce a default overnight social media curfew for 16 and 17-year-olds, alongside its planned ban for children under 16.
Apps will be restricted between midnight and 6am, while features designed to keep teenagers scrolling, including autoplay and continuously personalised feeds, will be switched off.
However, 16 and 17-year-olds will be able to override the default settings themselves.
Here’s what you need to know.
Background
Last month, the UK announced plans to ban children under 16 from using social media platforms including Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X.
The restrictions are expected to take effect in spring 2027 (March to May) subject to regulations passing Parliament.
Messaging services such as WhatsApp and Signal are not expected to be included.
Under the broader policy, children under 16 will also be prevented from using features such as livestreaming and communicating with strangers across other online services, including gaming platforms.
These features will be switched off by default for 16 and 17-year-olds, although they will be able to turn them back on.
Australia became the first country to introduce a nationwide social media ban for children under 16 when its restrictions took effect in December 2025.
New measures
The latest announcement sets out additional protections for teenagers who will still be allowed to use social media.
Platforms will be required to activate a default curfew for 16 and 17-year-olds between midnight and 6am.
Autoplay and feeds that continuously recommend personalised content will also be switched off automatically.
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However, teenagers will be able to override both settings themselves, prompting questions about how effective the restrictions will be. The Government has not yet explained exactly how the measures will be implemented and enforced.
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said the measures would help young people “get the sleep they need, focus on school and college, and spend more quality time with family and friends”.
What about chatbots?
The UK Government is also considering further protections for children using AI chatbots.
Its proposed measures include:
- Requiring regular breaks for users under 18.
- Publishing guidance for children and parents on using AI safely.
- Addressing chatbots that provide “dangerous, misleading or unverified mental health advice.”
- Potentially banning chatbots that are considered a threat to children.
These AI measures are still being developed and have not yet been finalised.
Responses
The opposition Conservative Party criticised the measures.
Shadow Technology Secretary Julia Lopez said: “Welcome to Labour’s Britain, where 16 and 17-year-olds are old enough to vote, old enough to have sex, old enough to be soldiers — but not old enough to be infinite midnight scrollers.”
Lopez also accused the Government of using the announcement to distract from unanswered questions about how its under-16 social media ban would work.
