UK plans midnight social media curfew and feed bans for teens by 2027

The British government is preparing to enforce a digital bedtime. Under proposals set to take effect by spring 2027, teenagers aged 16 and 17 will be barred from using social media platforms between midnight and 6:00 a.m.

Alongside the night-time lockout, the rules target core engagement mechanics. Regulators plan to outlaw features designed to maximize screen time, specifically infinite personalized algorithmic feeds and autoplaying short-form video, such as Instagram Reels and TikTok clips.

The government justified the policy in part by citing a study of 300 people, which reportedly found that nightly restrictions quickly integrated into teen routines and improved both sleep quality and daytime concentration.

The curfew serves as a secondary layer to an even stricter mandate confirmed earlier: a total social media ban for children under 16, also scheduled for spring 2027. Officials view the 16–17 night restrictions as a phased compromise to help older adolescents transition toward responsible platform use rather than cutting them off entirely.

Supplementary plans include rolling out artificial intelligence guidelines via the Child Internet Safety Centre and integrating media literacy into school curricula. The Relationship, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) framework will incorporate modules on navigating generative tools, alongside training designed to help pupils spot online disinformation and misogynistic material.

What the official outline does not detail is how platforms will technically enforce a time-of-day block against teenagers who routinely bypass geographic and age barriers.

Source: habr via Neowin