UK unveils plans for voluntary overnight social media curfew for older teens

From next spring, Britain’s oldest children will be urged to refrain from using certain apps with a midnight to 6am block being switched on by default.

Sixteen 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.

Since coming into effect in December, an Australian law has barred kids under 16 from having accounts on platforms like Snapchat, Instagram and YouTube.

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.