UK's own pilot data undermines teen social media curfew plan

On 16 July 2026, the UK Labour government proposed a voluntary midnight-to-6am social media curfew for 16- and 17-year-olds. It cited pilot data showing over 90% of teens kept restrictive default settings active. Yet that same research found overnight-only limits left overall social media use largely unchanged — exposing a gap between compliance and actual efficacy.