United Kingdom · TikTok · The Guardian Technology
Kendall said a public consultation had shown that even as young people gain greater independence at 16
Compiled by KHAO Editorial — aggregated from 1 source + 1 reference discovered via search. See llms.txt for citation guidance.
◌ Single Source
“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,” she said.
Key facts
- The government’s own research found that only 7-10% of children reported using a VPN specifically to bypass age checks
- In May, the DSIT commissioned data and market research company Savanta to test three different social media restrictions: rationing to 15 minutes a day, a no-access curfew from 9pm to 7am
- The government is concerned to avoid a “cliff edge” of teenagers suddenly being exposed to social media’s most addictive features the moment they turn 16
- Sixteen and 17-year-olds are to be encouraged to observe a midnight social media curfew, in the latest stage of Labour’s bid “to protect the next generation” from online harms, including poor sleep
Summary
Sixteen and 17-year-olds are to be encouraged to observe a midnight social media curfew, in the latest stage of Labour’s bid “to protect the next generation” from online harms, including poor sleep caused by night-time scrolling. From next spring, Britain’s oldest children will be urged to refrain from using certain apps with a midnight to 6am block being switched on by default. The government has also stopped short of restricting the use of virtual private networks, which allow children to avoid social media age gates by pretending they are in a country where there is no ban. The Molly Rose Foundation, an internet safety campaign group, said the latest measures were part of “yet another piecemeal set of announcements, not the comprehensive plan for children’s safety that’s required”. The specific apps covered by the default curfew have not been named in the announcement from the technology secretary, Liz Kendall, in one of the final acts of the Keir Starmer government.