UK Imposes Nightly Social Media Curfew for Teens

The British government announced a nightly curfew on social media for 16 and 17 year olds, restricting access from midnight to 6 AM. This builds on a previously announced ban of social media for those under 16, set to take effect in early 2027.

London also plans to require addictive platforms to implement default settings that disable features like infinite scrolling for users aged 16 to 18, though users can override these settings.

The United Kingdom joins Australia, Indonesia, France, Canada and the United Arab Emirates in restricting teen access to platforms like Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook. Officials cite concerns about the negative impact of addictive online features on adolescent well-being, sleep, and studies. The government is also introducing controls on AI chatbot use for those under 18, mandating regular breaks.