UK government wants curfews to curb kids’ social media usage
The UK government is considering a two-hour daily social media cap and a 10 p.m. curfew as part of tough new online safety measures for children.
A new BBC report says Labour is planning to overhaul safety rules amid frustration that legislation set out by the previous Conservative government has yet to take effect.
Technology Secretary Pete Kyle believes the current rules are “unsatisfactory” and “very uneven”.
The latest proposals to curb screen time and social media usage come as fears grow about the impact the addictive nature of smartphones is having on the youngest and most vulnerable in society.
Online safety campaigners say the current status quo cannot continue.
The Children’s Commissioner for England, Dame Rachel De Souza, echoed those sentiments, adding that “children should not be expected to police the online world themselves.”
She added that tech is evolving at an “enormous pace” and that more urgent action is needed to respond to the growing risks that it poses.
Curfews are seen as the next step in getting more children off mobile devices earlier.
While there are already screen time limits in most apps, it’s often too easy to switch them off or ignore them entirely.
Parents also say they are overwhelmed by the tools that they should supposedly be using to keep children’s online activities to a minimum.
The Online Safety Act was passed into law in 2023, but experts believe it needs to be strengthened to account for new protections for under-18s.
A source close to the government says the act won’t be repealed.
But campaigners and other leading figures have urged for the rules to be tightened.