Europe
Union Jack flag, social media app icons and a silhouette of children are seen in this illustration taken June 15, 2026. (Reuters/Dado Ruvic/Illustration)
The UK government said Tuesday it will introduce an overnight social media curfew for children aged 16 and 17, after Prime Minister Keir Starmer last month announced an under-16 social media ban.In the latest crackdown on children's access to addictive apps, the government said there will be a curfew for teenagers aged 16 and 17 on platforms like Instagram and Facebook, between midnight and 6 a.m.
The government also announced plans for a default setting that will disable addictive features like infinite scrolling for older teenagers.
Users will be able to switch off these settings, however, with critics saying they would be ineffective. It was not clear how these changes would be enforced.
