UK government unveils plan for midnight social media curfew for older teens

The UK government on Tuesday unveiled plans for what it described as a first-of-its-kind overnight social media curfew for older teens, setting a daily “midnight” cutoff after which major apps would be unavailable by default. The plan follows the government’s announcement last month of a full ban for under-16s, and the rollout is being framed as the next step in a broader effort to limit overnight access to social platforms for minors.

Deadline reported that the curfew is expected to affect apps such as Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, which the government said would become unavailable by default during the overnight hours covered by the policy. The company and platform implementation mechanism was not detailed in the report, but the government’s stated approach centers on restricting access automatically rather than requiring active user choice.

The announcement places the UK in the same policy category as Australia, which Deadline said had already introduced a similar model for younger users. According to the report, the UK’s move would be the second “of its kind” after the Australian action, indicating that the government is seeking to apply a comparable framework to older teens rather than stopping at the earlier age-group restriction.

The government’s messaging, as described by Deadline, suggests that the overnight curfew is designed to address sleep and safety concerns tied to late-night use, with the “by default” element intended to reduce the likelihood that minors can easily bypass restrictions. The policy would operate alongside the earlier under-16 ban announced last month, which Deadline characterized as a complete ban for that age group.

Although the details of enforcement were not included in the report, the operational focus on turning off access for specific apps overnight implies compliance work for platforms and app providers, including age verification and access controls during the covered hours. For families, the practical effect would be to shift overnight social media access from an “on demand” choice to a scheduled limitation that applies automatically.

The government said the plan would be rolled out for older teens, but the report did not specify a final start date, the exact age range beyond “older teens,” or whether exceptions would be available for particular circumstances. With the next policy steps pending, parents, educators, and civil society groups may seek clarification on how access will be measured, what safeguards will be used, and how quickly platforms are expected to implement the midnight cutoff.