The UK government has unveiled plans to introduce a voluntary overnight social media curfew for 16- and 17-year-olds as part of efforts to reduce excessive screen time and improve teenagers` wellbeing.
Announced on Wednesday, the proposal would require social media platforms to automatically activate a six-hour curfew from midnight.
Teenagers would still be able to disable the setting if they choose.
The government also plans to switch off features such as autoplay videos by default for users aged 16 and 17, aiming to limit addictive scrolling and prolonged time spent online.
The measures come a month after the Labour government announced plans to ban children under 16 from using major social media platforms, including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, YouTube and X.
The proposed ban, expected to take effect next spring, would not apply to messaging apps such as WhatsApp and Signal.
The latest proposals will require parliamentary approval before becoming law.
Online Safety Minister Kanishka Narayan said evidence from a pilot programme involving more than 300 teenagers and their parents showed the overnight curfew reduced late-night social media use while improving sleep and concentration.
He also noted that when some platforms introduced similar default settings last year, more than 90 percent of teenagers kept the feature enabled.
The opposition Conservative Party questioned the effectiveness of a voluntary curfew, arguing that teenagers could simply switch it off.
Children`s charity NSPCC welcomed the proposal but said stronger action would still be needed to tackle platform designs that encourage excessive screen time.
England`s Children`s Commissioner Rachel de Souza also backed the move, saying many young people want to spend less time on social media but often find it difficult to reduce their usage without support.
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