How the UK’s new social media curfew will work
Key Points
- Social media apps will block 16 and 17-year-olds from midnight to 6am by default under new government plans, with measures expected to take effect from spring 2027.
- Platforms will also switch off autoplay videos and endlessly refreshing personalised feeds by default for older teenagers, though they can opt out of all restrictions.
- The measures follow a government pilot of more than 300 teenagers and parents, with families reporting better sleep and concentration.
- Ministers will also require regular breaks for under-18s using AI chatbots and may ban chatbots that give children dangerous mental health advice.
16 and 17-year-olds across the UK will face default overnight social media curfews from midnight to 06h00 from Spring 2027, Technology Secretary Liz Kendall announced on Wednesday (15 July).
Under the plans, set out by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, social media platforms will also switch off features that keep users scrolling for longer, including videos that automatically play one after another and feeds that continually serve up personalised content.
The restrictions apply by default rather than by law, meaning older teenagers can change their own settings if they choose. The government argues this strikes a balance between stronger safeguards and greater independence at 16.
The measures extend the government’s ban on social media for under-16s, which takes effect from next spring and covers platforms including Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X, but not messaging services such as WhatsApp and Signal.
Ministers say the new defaults will stop teenagers hitting a cliff edge of addictive features the moment they turn 16.
The government will lay the first regulations before Parliament by the end of this year, with the curfew and feature restrictions expected to come into force in Spring 2027.
Pilot found curfews improved sleep and concentration
The announcement follows a government pilot involving more than 300 teenagers and parents across the UK, with families reporting that overnight curfews quickly became part of their routine and improved sleep and concentration.
Kendall said the consultation delivered a clear message from parents and teenagers alike.
“These measures will be crucial in helping young people get the sleep they need, focus on school and college, and spend more quality time with family and friends,” she said.
Online safety minister Kanishka Narayan rejected suggestions that teenagers would simply disable the settings, telling Sky News that more than 90% of teenagers kept similar defaults in place when some platforms introduced them in October.
Critics disagree however. Conservative Shadow Education secretary Laura Trott told ITV News that “curfews they can simply switch off won’t achieve anything”, while NSPCC chief executive Chris Sherwood warned the proposals would amount to a sticking plaster without stronger follow-up measures.
Age verification firm Verifymy said platforms now need to reliably identify three separate groups, banned under-16s, restricted older teenagers, and adults with full access, for the defaults to work at all.
