UK teen social media curfew adds to Europe tech crackdown

The UK government has proposed a default overnight social media curfew for 16 and 17-year-olds, automatically disabling access from midnight until 6am. The measures, announced on Wednesday, would also switch off addictive features like infinite scrolling and autoplay by default, though teenagers retain the ability to override the restrictions.

The proposal bridges a gap in Britain’s evolving digital rules. In June, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a blanket social media ban for under-16s targeting platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, YouTube, and X. This new curfew is designed to prevent a regulatory "cliff edge" as those younger teenagers age into greater digital independence. The first regulations are expected to go before Parliament by the end of this year and take effect by spring 2027.

For tech companies operating in Europe, the UK’s move underscores a continent-wide tightening of the rules governing user engagement. On Monday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the bloc would explore age limits for platforms. “Social media is not a toy,” she said, adding that “parents bring up our kids, and not predatory algorithms.” The EU has already signalled that infinite scroll and autoplay mechanisms breach its existing regulations.

Platforms are pushing back against the regulatory wave by highlighting their own internal controls. Ali Law, TikTok’s director of public policy in Northern Europe, noted the app includes more than 50 preset safety settings for under-16s, such as a one-hour daily screen time limit and a 10pm break prompt. “All of these are little default aspects, little nudges to make sure that people have a balanced and healthy relationship with our app,” Law said. TikTok reported spending $2 billion on trust and safety last year and recently settled a social media addiction case.

The UK’s curfew model emerged from a month-long government pilot involving more than 300 teenagers and parents. Participants tested a strict 15-minute daily cap, a 9pm to 7am curfew, and complete app removal. While teens reported mental health benefits like improved mood and reduced stress across the board, they also noted the social cost of losing contact with friends. The overnight curfew ultimately proved the most popular compromise.

The regulatory net is also widening beyond traditional social feeds. Technology Secretary Liz Kendall indicated she will introduce separate rules targeting AI chatbots used by minors. The upcoming package would mandate regular breaks for under-18s and crack down on AI systems dispensing unverified or dangerous mental health advice, with ministers weighing outright bans for chatbots deemed a serious threat to children.