UK teenagers to face overnight social media curfew under new rules

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer's government announced new social media restrictions for 16- and 17-year-olds, including a voluntary overnight curfew from midnight to 6 am and default settings disabling addictive features like infinite scrolling and AI chatbot use. Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said the measures aim to protect older teenagers from harmful online content, following a previously announced ban for under-16s. Critics questioned the effectiveness of voluntary measures, calling for mandatory platform design changes.

UK teenagers to face overnight social media curfew under new rules - Sir Keir Starmer's government is introducing new social media restrictions for 16 and 17-year-olds, including a voluntary overnight curfew between midnight and 6 am. - Technology Secretary Liz Kendall announced that default settings will automatically disable addictive features like infinite scrolling and require breaks in AI chatbot use for this age group. - These measures aim to protect older teenagers from harmful online features and follow a previously announced social media ban for under-16s, expected from next spring. - A government pilot scheme involving families reported that overnight curfews helped improve sleep and concentration among participating teenagers. - Critics, including the Conservative shadow education secretary and online safety organisations, have questioned the effectiveness of voluntary measures, advocating for stronger, mandatory changes to platform design.