Key Facts

• The proposed social media curfew will restrict access to platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube for 16 and 17-year-olds between midnight and 06:00, although users can opt out by changing their account settings.
• The government also plans to disable "addictive" features such as auto-play and infinite scroll, which it claims will improve teenagers' focus, sleep quality, and family life.
• The proposals follow a trial of social media interventions involving 300 teenagers, which found that a curfew resulted in the most sleep benefits, more engaging family evenings, and a less burdensome set-up for parents.
• Critics, including child safety charities and experts, have expressed concerns that the curfew may harm vulnerable children by limiting their access to social media when they need it most, and that the proposals do not go far enough to ensure children's safety online.
• The government aims to lay its new proposed measures in front of parliament by the end of 2026, with the aim that they take effect alongside its social media ban for under-16s next spring.