UK plans midnight social media curfew for older teens

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London: The UK government announced plans to implement a mandatory nightly social media curfew for 16 and 17 year olds, restricting access to social media platforms between midnight and 6 a.m. unless users sign out. The measure is part of a larger attempt to prevent excessive screen time in teenagers and protect their mental health and sleep.

The proposal also calls for banning features like autoplay videos and endless scrolling by default for older teens, while messaging services and learning tools will remain available. Ministers said the adjustments are meant to ease the transition following the planned ban on social media use for minors under the age of 16.

The government intends to introduce regulations by the end of 2026, with implementation expected in spring 2027. The regulation is based on research that shows that limiting late-night social media use may improve teenagers' sleep, focus, and overall well-being; however, opponents believe that the limits are too easy to bypass because users can change the default settings.