Britain to introduce 'curfew' for teenagers on social media

Britain will require social networks to impose a ban on their use at night for teenagers aged 16-17.

This is stated in a statement from the UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.

According to the message, British authorities will require apps to set an automatic "curfew" for teenagers from 00:00 to 06:00. In addition, social networks will have to disable by default features that force users to spend more time online — for example, automatic playback of videos one after another and continuous delivery of personalized content. At the same time, teenagers will be able to change these settings if they wish.

"These measures will play a key role in helping young people get healthy sleep, focus on their studies at school and college, and spend more time usefully and enjoyably with family and friends. All of this is fundamental to building a happy, healthy and fulfilling adult life," said department head Liz Kendall.

In addition, British authorities intend to require developers of artificial intelligence-based chatbots to introduce restrictions on the amount of time they can be used daily for persons under 18. The UK government will also consider the possibility of banning chatbots that "pose a serious threat to children," including by providing "dangerous, false or unverified advice in the field of mental health."

All of the above measures will be submitted to the British Parliament for consideration at the end of the year. They are expected to come into force in the spring of 2027. Earlier, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that from the spring of 2027, access to social networks for persons under the age of 16 will be banned in the country.

Source: TASS