UK MINISTERS PUSH FOR SOCIAL MEDIA CURFEWS – Kids could be restricted to 2 hours per app daily, with access blocked after 10pm & during school hours.
Ministers in the UK are hoping that the days of endless doomscrolling come to an end for kids as they weigh tough new online safety rules—including curfews and screen time limits on popular social media apps.
Under the proposals, children and teens could be restricted to just two hours per app, per day, with access blocked after 10pm and during school hours. It’s part of a growing effort to protect young minds from the harmful effects of excessive screen time, online comparison traps, and digital addiction.
Technology Secretary Peter Kyle says he’s determined to stop children from “wasting their childhoods glued to their phones.” In a statement to reporters, he revealed that his new approach is designed to “nail down some of the safety challenges that people face online.”
The proposed changes would prevent kids from accessing apps like TikTok and Snapchat once their daily limit is hit. While ministers acknowledge that switching between apps could still increase screen time overall, they say this is a strong first step in the right direction.
The movement follows an April directive from Ofcom, the UK’s media regulator, which released a new children’s code. It requires tech firms to crack down on toxic algorithms, remove harmful content faster, and implement robust age verification, including photo ID and facial recognition, to ensure children can’t lie about their age and sneak onto platforms meant for adults.
Starting July, platforms that fail to comply could face massive fines of up to 10% of global revenue, or even risk being banned in the UK entirely.
