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.
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