UK 16- and 17-year-olds to be encouraged to follow midnight social media curfew
Summary
The UK government plans to encourage 16- and 17-year-olds to follow a social media curfew from midnight to 6am, aiming to reduce online harm like poor sleep. This curfew will be turned on by default but can be easily turned off by users, extending restrictions already placed on younger children.Key Facts
- The curfew applies to certain social media apps including Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and X, but the exact apps have not been officially named.
- The curfew is not mandatory and users aged 16 and 17 can override it with a few clicks.
- Features that encourage long use, like autoplay videos and personalized feeds, will also be disabled by default for these teenagers.
- The UK government decided not to ban the use of VPNs, which can bypass age restrictions, because only a small number of children use them this way.
- Research showed curfews improve sleep, reduce stress, and increase family interactions for young people.
- Messaging and educational apps like WhatsApp, iMessage, Google Classroom, and Teams are not affected by the curfew.
- The policy is part of a broader effort by the Labour government and was announced by technology secretary Liz Kendall.
- Some child safety campaigners say the measures are not strong enough and want more comprehensive protections, including for AI chatbots.
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