Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has not ruled out changing the voluntary element of social media curfews for teenagers in the future if evidence shows they are turning off safety features. The comments come as the government unveils new measures targeting addictive features on social media platforms.
New Measures for Teenagers
On top of the social media ban for under-16s announced by Sir Keir Starmer last month, plans unveiled on Wednesday will see 16 and 17-year-olds prevented from accessing social media sites between midnight and 6am by default. The measures, announced by Technology Secretary Liz Kendall, will also turn off addictive features such as auto-scrolling and algorithmic feeds.
Ministers have defended the plans from critics who questioned their effectiveness, given teenagers can turn off features like curfews, saying trials suggest 90% would not do so. Families who took part in a government pilot involving more than 300 teenagers and parents across the UK reported overnight curfews helped improve sleep and concentration, according to the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (Dsit).
Graduated Approach for Different Ages
Ms Phillipson told the Press Association: “It’s right that we take a different approach for under-16s and under-18s because, of course, as young people move from childhood into adulthood there’s a different set of considerations.” She added that 16-year-olds are able to work and moving into adulthood, so supporting them with the transition from not accessing social media into a world where they will be able to access it is important. “I think it seeks to get the balance right between not wanting young people under 16 to be exposed to harm and all of the damage that we see, but where it comes to young people making that transition into adulthood, it’s right that we take a graduated approach,” she said.
Asked if there is scope to change the features from being voluntary if many teenagers switch off default settings, Ms Phillipson said: “Every element of what we’re setting out will need to continue to be reviewed in line with the evidence. The technology moves fast and we’ll need to keep responding to that.”
Additional Proposals and Reactions
Online safety minister Kanishka Narayan told Times Radio the plans will make Britain “the safest place for young people in their experiences online”. The proposals also include requiring under-18s to take regular breaks while using chatbots, and a crackdown on AI services that provide “dangerous, misleading or unverified mental health advice”, with ministers considering banning chatbots which pose a serious threat to children, Dsit said.
New guidance for children, parents and guardians on safe AI use will be published, and media literacy teaching will be strengthened in schools from September. Children’s Commissioner for England Dame Rachel de Souza welcomed Wednesday’s announcements as “a positive step” that responds to young people’s demand for more protection online. She said: “Young people tell me they try to cut down social media use but find it hard, so restrictions on infinite-scrolling are welcome. I want to know more about how the policies, such as a curfew, will be delivered and will be watching closely to make sure they are effective, alongside pushing Ofcom to make full use of its powers to make the online world safer for children.”
The Conservatives described the plans as a “dog’s dinner” and called for a focus on banning social media for under-16s. 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. Giving 16-year-olds the vote while putting them under a social media curfew makes no sense. They’re also rolling out AI tutors in schools for the most disadvantaged while announcing more lessons on dealing with dangers of AI chatbots.”
NSPCC chief executive Chris Sherwood said the proposals go “some way” to improving young people’s online experience, but they will not be enough on their own. He said: “Unless they’re followed up with further, stronger measures, they will be a sticking plaster that fails to address the addictive design features which are driving high screentime and undermining children’s wellbeing.”
