Multiple UK outlets report that the government is introducing new controls for 16 and 17-year-olds on social media. The plans include an overnight curfew restricting access from midnight to 6am, alongside changes intended to reduce “addictive” design features. One proposal described across coverage is turning off “infinite scrolling,” which keeps a feed continuously loading without interruption. Sky News and other reports also say the controls will apply through default settings, but that teenagers will have the option to switch them off. That detail is central to criticism reflected in the reporting: commentators question whether the measures can meaningfully change behaviour if users can manually disable the restrictions. The Mirror and Evening Standard specifically highlight the overnight curfew and the switch-off of infinite scrolling for the affected age group, while noting that the default settings are not permanent. Other summaries provide consistent themes about curfews and the disabling of addictive features, with the effectiveness disputed due to the ability to turn the defaults off.
UK plans introduce overnight social media curfew and disable infinite scrolling for 16-17 year-olds
Multiple UK outlets report that the government is introducing new controls for 16 and 17-year-olds on social media. The plans include an overnight curfew restricting access from midnight to 6am, along...
- The measures target 16- and 17-year-olds’ social media use.
- An overnight curfew is planned from midnight to 6am.
- Infinite scrolling (continuously loading feeds) is expected to be switched off.
- Addictive features are disabled through default settings under the proposals.
- Teenagers can switch off the default settings, and critics question the impact.
Sixteen and 17-year-olds will be able to turn off the default settings, leading critics to question the plans’ effectiveness.
1 hour agoLiz Kendall said infinite scrolling - where a user's feed continuously loads - will be switched off for 16 and 17-year-olds group, while overnight curfews from midnight to 6am will be in place
3 hours agoSixteen and 17-year-olds will be able to turn off the default settings, leading critics to question the plans’ effectiveness.
3 hours agoSixteen and 17-year-olds will face an overnight social media curfew and the disabling of addictive features under government plans - but critics say it won't achieve anything as the settings can be turned off.
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