Gov Sets Out More Detail of UK Social Media Curfews and Restrictions for Under 16s

The Government has tonight set out more details of how they intend to implement their recently announced internet Social Media ban for children under 16 (original news), which among other things includes new details on overnight curfews and breaks in infinite scrolling for under 18s.

In case anybody has forgotten. Last month saw the government confirm their intention to adopt an Australia style model of online censorship, which required the most popular Social Media platforms to effectively ban Children under the age of 16 – covering TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, YouTube, Reddit, Twitch, X, Threads, Facebook and Kick.

The plan also included a variety of other measures aimed at under 16s, such as a ban on livestreaming and chatting with strangers via online gaming apps (inc. gaming websites); the introduction of more Highly Effective Age Assurance (HEAA) measures (a complex problem to get right, while still preserving privacy); a review of Ofcom’s enforcement capabilities to ensure they can handle the changes; restrictions for under 18s on the access and use of AI chatbots (e.g. romantic companion chatbots); and tech companies have a 3-month deadline to stop children from taking, sharing or viewing nude images etc.

Restrictions on some of these functionalities are to be enabled by default for both under 16- and 17-year-olds to prevent a cliff-edge at sixteen, although we presume those aged 16+ will be able to disable many of them. However, popular internet messaging services, like WhatsApp and Signal, were excluded from the new social media ban.

Finally, the government also said they were considering “options … about whether we could age-gate VPN use”, while at the same time looking in more detail at overnight social media curfews and breaks in infinite scrolling for under-18-year-olds. But on these last points the government said they’d set out more detail about how this would all work in July 2026, and today we got the answer.

What does the new detail reveal

At the time of writing, the government’s official announcement is actually quite sparse on detail and merely confirms much of what they’ve said before, alongside a smidgen of extra information.

Key Developments

➤ Default overnight curfews from midnight to 6am will be switched on for 16 and 17-year-olds on social media apps.

➤ Features that can keep users scrolling for longer – such as videos that automatically play one after another and feeds that continually serve up personalised content – will also be switched off by default for older teenagers.

➤ The Technology Secretary intends to bring forward a package of measures to help children use AI chatbots safely. These will include:

• Regular breaks for under-18s using chatbots, encouraging healthier online habits.
• Working with regulators and across government to address services that provide dangerous, misleading or unverified mental health advice. Ministers will consider all options, including banning chatbots that pose a serious threat to children.
• Publishing new guidance for children, parents and guardians on how to use AI safely and confidently by expanding the Kids Online Safety Hub.

➤ In order to bolster media literacy skills in schools, from September 2026, RSHE (Relationships, Sex, and Health Education) classes will cover critical thinking about new types of technology including artificial intelligence and AI chatbots. Children will also be taught about mis and disinformation, how to identify misogynistic or violent online content, and to understand that online content can present a distorted picture of the world.

The National Curriculum will now embed media literacy across subjects, alongside strengthened English and History content to analyse sources and spot bias, and an enhanced computing curriculum covering AI, data science, and technological bias

The new protections are aiming to “strike a balance between giving older teenagers greater safeguards online while still allowing them to change their own settings if they wish” (this is a reference to those over the age of 16).

The measures are said to follow a “first-of-its-kind Government pilot” involving more than 300 teenagers and parents across the UK, with families reporting that overnight curfews quickly became part of their routine and helped improve sleep and concentration.

Technology Secretary, Liz Kendall, said:

“Our consultation provided a clear message from parents and teenagers alike – even as young people gain greater independence at 16, they should still be protected from the most addictive online features that can have a harmful impact on their wellbeing.

These measures will be crucial in helping young people get the sleep they need, focus on school and college, and spend more quality time with family and friends, all of which are fundamental to building a happy, healthy and fulfilling adult life.

We want young people to enjoy the benefits of technology while having the tools to make the online world a place where they can thrive.”

Broadly speaking, the changes being announced in this update are a lot more balanced than those that have already been confirmed (e.g. infinite scrolling is probably something we could all do without), which were by comparison a bit more contentious due to issues of strict censorship, privacy and treating even older teenagers like they’re 5 years old. But there remains a lack of detail in the government’s announcement and this makes it hard to properly judge the wider impacts.