Arabian Post Staff -Dubai
The proposed rules will block access to social media accounts between midnight and 6am unless teenagers actively change their settings. Platforms will also have to disable autoplay, infinite scrolling and other features designed to keep users continuously engaged.
The measures are intended to prevent a sharp reduction in protections when children turn 16. Under a separate policy due to take effect in spring 2027, social media companies will be barred from offering accounts to users under that age.
The curfew will apply by default rather than as an absolute prohibition. Older teenagers will retain the right to opt out, reflecting the government’s view that 16- and 17-year-olds should be given greater autonomy while still receiving protection from potentially addictive platform design.
Services expected to be covered include TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, YouTube and X. Private messaging services such as WhatsApp and Signal are expected to remain outside the under-16 ban, provided they are primarily used for communication with known contacts rather than public content distribution.
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said better sleep, improved concentration and more time with family and friends were central to the policy. Ministers argue that default settings can influence behaviour even when users are free to alter them.
The government’s approach follows a month-long study involving 309 young people aged between 13 and 17 and their parents or carers. Participants tested daily time limits, an overnight block from 9pm to 7am, or complete removal of selected social media applications.
Teenagers and families involved in the curfew trial commonly reported going to bed earlier, sleeping better and feeling more focused during lessons and revision. The overnight restriction was considered easier to manage than strict daily limits or full account removal.
The research was qualitative and based on self-reported experiences, meaning it cannot establish that restrictions directly caused the reported improvements. Compliance was also uneven. Some teenagers switched devices, received parental exceptions or increased their use immediately before the cut-off.
Participants described disadvantages alongside the benefits. Some felt excluded from group discussions and social plans, particularly when friends remained online. Others experienced irritability or household tension during the adjustment period, while some transferred their attention to gaming, video services or other screens.
Online Safety Minister Kanishka Narayan rejected suggestions that most teenagers would immediately deactivate the curfew. He said experience with platform defaults indicated that many young users kept protective settings in place after they were introduced.
Opposition politicians and child welfare organisations have questioned whether an optional restriction will materially reduce excessive screen time. Conservative education spokesperson Laura Trott argued that a curfew which users can disable would have limited practical effect.
The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children welcomed stronger default protections but warned that the measure would not be sufficient by itself. The charity has called for broader action against platform systems that encourage prolonged engagement and repeatedly recommend content.
Children’s Commissioner for England Rachel de Souza described the proposal as a positive step but said implementation would determine whether it meaningfully changed teenagers’ online experiences.
The policy forms part of a wider regulatory shift under the Online Safety Act and the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026. The legislation requires the government to introduce age-based or functionality-based restrictions for children using social media.
More than 116,000 responses were submitted to a consultation on children’s online experiences. The government said nine in 10 parents supported preventing under-16s from accessing major social media services.
Platforms will be expected to use age-assurance systems to identify users covered by the restrictions. These may include document checks, facial age estimation, behavioural signals and information already held by account providers.
Privacy campaigners have warned that stronger age checks could require users to share sensitive information and may encourage the use of virtual private networks or less regulated platforms. Research into earlier age-verification requirements found a rise in online interest in tools designed to conceal users’ locations and identities.
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