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Social media ban - bold and blunt, but no silver bullet
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Older teenagers in the UK will face an overnight social media curfew, the government has announced - though they will be able to opt out of it by changing their account settings.
Key facts
- It would mean apps such as Instagram, TikTok and YouTube being set to be unavailable by default to 16 and 17-year-olds between midnight and 06:00
- However, campaigners such as Ellen Roome, who believes her 14-year-old son Jools Sweeney died in an online challenge gone wrong in 2022, does not think the plan goes far enough as teenagers
- Either they think 16 and 17-year-olds should be on social media or they don't, but curfews they can simply switch off won't achieve anything," she said
- Lorna Woods, professor of internet law at Essex University, told the BBC she felt the measure was designed to target apprehensions from parents and child safety groups
Summary
It would mean apps such as Instagram, TikTok and YouTube being set to be unavailable by default to 16 and 17-year-olds between midnight and 06:00. The government also wants "addictive" features such as auto-play and infinite scroll to be set to be disabled, saying - combined with the curfew - the measures will improve teenagers' focus, sleep quality and family life. However, campaigners such as Ellen Roome, who believes her 14-year-old son Jools Sweeney died in an online challenge gone wrong in 2022, does not think the plan goes far enough as teenagers can switch the setting off.