{"id":2044821,"date":"2026-07-15T14:27:24","date_gmt":"2026-07-15T11:27:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2044821"},"modified":"2026-07-15T14:27:24","modified_gmt":"2026-07-15T11:27:24","slug":"uk-plans-social-media-curfew-for-teens-aged-16-and-17","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2044821","title":{"rendered":"UK plans social media curfew for teens aged 16 and 17"},"content":{"rendered":"

[analyse_image type=”featured” src=”https:\/\/helios-i.mashable.com\/imagery\/articles\/00EHYJSUraTjkZJMb4nT0Ib\/hero-image.fill.size_1200x675.v1784123699.jpg”]<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
Home<\/a>><\/span>Life<\/a>><\/span>Sex, Dating & Relationships<\/a><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

UK plans social media curfew for teens aged 16 and 17<\/h1>\n
But a VPN ban for children won’t move forward.<\/div>\n
\n
\n \u00a0By\u00a0<\/p>\n
Anna Iovine<\/a><\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
\"anna<\/p>\n
\n
Anna Iovine<\/div>\n
Associate Editor, Features<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n Anna Iovine is the associate editor of features at Mashable. Previously, as the sex and relationships reporter, she covered topics ranging from dating apps to pelvic pain. Before Mashable, Anna was a social editor at VICE and freelanced for publications such as Slate and the Columbia Journalism Review. Follow her on Bluesky<\/a>.\n <\/div>\n

Read Full Bio<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\u00a0on\u00a0

Share on Facebook<\/span><\/a>Share on Twitter<\/span><\/a>Share on Flipboard<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\"teenager<\/p>\n
Credit: Anna Barclay\/Getty Images<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

The UK government announced plans to establish a social media<\/a>curfew<\/a> for teens aged 16 and 17, the BBC reported. The news comes a month after the UK announced a ban on social media for children<\/a> under 16, and days after the EU announced a similar ban<\/a> for children under 13.<\/p>\n

The curfew would restrict use of social media apps like Instagram and YouTube, and would be from the hours of midnight to 6:00 a.m. But there will apparently be a way to opt out of this.<\/p>\n

Currently, the UK is under the Online Safety Act<\/a>, an age assurance law that requires proof of age to see content deemed “restricted to adults,” such as pornography, but also extends to non-explicit content like forums about addiction. <\/p>\n

\n
\n
You May Also Like<\/strong><\/p>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
Hookup apps for everyone<\/div>\n

AdultFriendFinder<\/span><\/a>
\n \u2014
\n readers\u2019 pick for casual connections<\/strong><\/p>\n

Tinder<\/span><\/a>
\n \u2014
\n top pick for finding hookups<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hinge<\/span><\/a>
\n \u2014
\n popular choice for regular meetups<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/section>\n

\n Products available for purchase through affiliate links. If you buy something through links on our site, Mashable may earn an affiliate commission.\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n
SEE ALSO:<\/span>Porn censorship is going to destroy the entire internet<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n

The law, which went into effect in July 2025, is often circumvented by software such as VPNs<\/a>, which mask a person’s real location. While the UK considered a VPN ban<\/a> for children, the BBC reported that that’s no longer on the table. <\/p>\n

\n
Mashable Trend Report<\/span><\/div>\n
\n
\n
Decode what\u2019s viral, what\u2019s next, and what it all means.<\/div>\n
Sign up for Mashable\u2019s weekly Trend Report newsletter.<\/div>\n
\n By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use<\/a> and Privacy Policy<\/a>.\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
Thanks for signing up!<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

“We have decided not to limit VPNs today and that’s the primary conclusion for now but it is something we will continue to review,” the UK’s online safety minister, Kanishka Narayan, said on BBC Breakfast, referring to research on VPNs<\/a> that suggested there wasn’t much evidence they were being used by children to get around age checks.<\/p>\n

Narayan also discussed the potential curfew as well as limiting autoplay features, saying, “Britain is already going to be the most robust place in the world when it comes to regulating” tech companies. <\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
Related Stories<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n