In this photo illustration, a 13-year-old teenage boy looks at an iPhone screen displaying various social media apps on January 12, 2026 in Bath, England.
Matt Cardy | Getty Images News | Getty Images
The British government on Wednesday proposed new measures to protect teenagers on social media, including a late night curfew and limits on infinite scrolling, as tech giants continue to face increased scrutiny over online safety.
The government announced on Wednesday that a curfew from midnight to midnight will apply by default for 16- to 17-year-olds, and addictive features such as infinite scrolling and autoplay will be automatically turned off. However, teens have the option to turn these settings off.
It is expected to take effect by spring 2027.
The move comes after trials of social media restrictions showed positive results from teenagers who found their sleep and concentration improved after being locked down overnight. The trial was attended by more than 300 teenagers and their parents from across the UK.
The social media trial, which involved more than 300 teenagers and their parents across the UK, ran for a month and tested three types of interventions, including limiting app use to 15 minutes a day, a curfew between 9pm and 7am, and deleting certain social media apps completely.
The results showed that participants experienced a variety of mental health benefits, including improved mood, reduced stress, and increased energy during the day. However, it also points to a “social-emotional trade-off” as social media is the main way to interact with unrestricted friends.
As a result, a nighttime curfew was most popular in order to balance health benefits with the social needs of teens.
In June, outgoing British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a complete ban on social media for under-16s. It follows Australia becoming the first country in the world to implement a legal ban in December. The UK ban applies to platforms including Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and X.
