What are the social media restrictions for 16 and 17 year olds?
Older teenagers will be subject to modified restrictions after government previously announced blanket ban for under-16 social media use
Older teenagers will be subjected to restrictions on social media next year, with the government announcing 16 and 17-year-olds will have a curfew for use.
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Having announced that under-16s will be blocked from social media from next spring, the government has now moved to bring in restrictions that will see caps put on use for those a little older.
Technology secretary Liz Kendall said the new measures emphasised the importance of giving older teenagers greater independence as they enter their later teen years.
“Our consultation provided a clear message from parents and teenagers alike - even as young people gain greater independence at 16, they should still be protected from the most addictive online features that can have a harmful impact on their wellbeing,” she said.
LBC understands that incoming Prime Minister Andy Burnham reiterated that he supported the social ban and measures put in place by the outgoing government during a meeting with the PLP on Monday night.
Read also: UK will be safest place for teenagers online with social media curfew – minister
What is the under-16 social media ban?
The government originally announced in June that under-16s will be banned entirely from a number of social media sites, bringing the UK in line with restrictions that have come into place in Australia.
Sir Keir Starmer called it a "big moment for our country" during his speech announcing the ban.
What is the midnight social media curfew for those aged 16 and 17?
Newly announced additional plans include an overnight curfew, between midnight and 6am, which will see sites switched on by default for 16- and 17-year-olds.
Social media’s most addictive features will also be curbed for older teenagers, including infinite scroll, which allows videos to automatically play one after another, as well as personalised news feeds.
The new measures will be introduced next spring and are designed to complement the blanket under-16 ban, to allow young people a staggered progression onto social media use.
In addition, a minimum age of 18 will be enforced for anyone looking to use a romantic chatbot.
Which social media sites will be restricted?
The ban will be in place for sites such as:
- Snapchat,
- TikTok,
- YouTube,
- Instagram,
- Bluesky
- Facebook, and
- X
The government has previously said that several sites will be exempt from the ban, including YouTube Kids.
There are already age restrictions in place for users to access over-18 restricted content online, such as pornography.
Can teenagers get around these restrictions?
The government has not banned VPNs, and there is some concern that these restrictions will not stop teenagers from becoming addicted to social media.
Using a virtual private network (VPN) can allow a blocked user to browse as if they were in another geographical area and, therefore, not be subject to the same restrictions.
Other countries, such as China, Belarus, Syria, and Pakistan, have banned VPNs altogether.
On the search data, Richy George, chief revenue officer at IT-AMG, told City AM: “Within hours of the ban being confirmed, the nation’s teenagers appear to have been Googling how to get around it rather than disengaging from social media altogether.”
Tory shadow education secretary Laura Trott said: "Either they think 16 and 17-year-olds should be on social media or they don't, but curfews they can simply switch off won't achieve anything."
Technology secretary Liz Kendall told Nick Ferrari at Breakfast on LBC that the regulator needed to strengthen its enforcement powers and strategy amid concerns that companies are not being effectively punished for breaking online safety rules.
Ms Kendall said: “We need to make sure that if fines are given and they’re not paid, we have to take it to the next step.”