UK to impose default midnight-to-6 AM social media curfew for 16- and 17-year-olds next spring
The British government has announced a nightly social media ban for 16- and 17-year-olds, restricting access to platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube from midnight to 6:00 AM. The curfew, set to begin next spring, is not mandatory and can be overridden by changing account settings.
The move is part of the government's effort to protect teenagers from online harms, including poor sleep caused by night-time scrolling. Technology Secretary Liz Kendall stated that the default curfew aims to shield older teenagers from the most addictive online features that can harm their wellbeing.
The curfew extends a previous ban on social media for children under 16, announced last month. The government has also planned to deactivate addictive features such as auto-playing videos and personalized content feeds for older teenagers. However, these restrictions can also be overridden with a few clicks.
Critics, including the Molly Rose Foundation, have described the measures as a "piecemeal set of announcements" rather than a comprehensive plan for children's safety. Beeban Kidron of the 5Rights Foundation criticized the default curfew as "for show and headlines, not for children."
The government's research found that only 7-10% of children use VPNs to bypass age checks, and officials are concerned about potential impacts on free speech. The curfew is one of the final acts of the Keir Starmer government, with Kendall emphasizing the need to balance greater independence at 16 with protections from harmful online features.
The specific apps covered by the curfew have not been named in the announcement. The government is also planning controls for AI chatbots to ensure regular breaks for users under 18.
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Británia pritvrdzuje boj so sociálnymi sieťami. Tínedžerom obmedzí nočné scrollovanie aj AI chatboty Británia pridáva k zákazu sociálnych sietí pre mladších ako 16 rokov ďalší krok. Starším tínedžerom zakáže nočné používanie platforiem a obmedzí návykové funkcie.
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