Millions of 16 and 17-year-olds across the UK could soon find their phones going quiet at midnight, under fresh government proposals designed to tackle the grip social media has on young people’s lives.
Ministers have unveiled plans for a default overnight curfew that would block access to platforms including Instagram, TikTok and YouTube between midnight and 6am.
Alongside the curfew, the government wants so-called “addictive” design features such as auto-play video and infinite scroll to be switched off by default for this age group. Officials argue the combined effect would be better sleep, sharper focus at school and college, and more quality family time.
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said the changes were intended to help young people get the rest they need while still allowing them to enjoy technology safely. The proposals build on measures announced in June, which will see under-16s banned outright from a range of social media platforms.
A Mixed Reaction
Not everyone is convinced the plan makes sense. Conservative shadow education secretary Laura Trott called the plan “a dog’s dinner” and dismissed the proposals as confused, arguing that an optional curfew teenagers can simply disable achieves little.
Child safety campaigners have also raised concerns. Andy Burrows, chief executive of the Molly Rose Foundation, argued the announcement amounted to another fragmented step rather than the thorough safety strategy campaigners have been calling for. He suggested outgoing Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer would leave office having introduced a ban without a proper delivery plan, leaving his likely successor, Andy Burnham, to pick up the pieces.
Other experts warned the policy could backfire for vulnerable children. Professor Sonia Livingstone of the London School of Economics said that while curbing push notifications overnight made sense, cutting off a struggling teenager’s ability to reach trusted support at night could do real harm.
Meanwhile, Dame Rachel de Souza, England’s Children’s Commissioner, struck a more balanced note, saying young people themselves have been clear they don’t want an outright ban, but do want protection from addictive scrolling. She said she would be watching closely to ensure any curfew is genuinely effective.
The Evidence Behind the Plan
The proposals follow a month-long government trial involving around 300 teenagers, who were split into groups: some had social apps switched off completely, some faced an overnight block between 9pm and 7am, others had usage capped at one hour a day, and a control group saw no changes at all.
Of the options tested, the overnight curfew produced the strongest results: better sleep, livelier family evenings, and the least hassle for parents to enforce. However, Professor Pete Etchells of Bath Spa University urged caution, pointing out that the trial was small and only offers a partial picture of how families will cope with restrictions in practice.
Lessons From Australia
The UK plans echo Australia’s own social media ban for under-16s, introduced in December. That scheme has faced criticism after reports that many teenagers found ways around the block, raising doubts about how effectively age restrictions can be enforced.
There had also been speculation that the UK government might crack down on VPNs, which can be used to bypass age checks. However, ministers said newly commissioned research found little evidence that significant numbers of children were using VPNs to get around the rules, easing fears of a wider clampdown on the tools.
What Happens Next
The government also confirmed it will introduce separate safeguards for children using AI chatbots, including requiring providers to build in regular breaks for under-18 users.
Officials hope to bring the new measures before Parliament by the end of 2026, timing them to take effect alongside the under-16s social media ban expected next spring.
