Default overnight curfews and addictive features to be switched off automatically to protect 16 and 17-year-olds on social media, the government has announced.
Lynn Perry, chief executive of Barnardo’s, said:
“It is encouraging to see the government taking further action to protect older teenagers online with overnight social media curfews and switching off features like autoplay and infinite scrolling. We know from talking to young people how addictive social media platforms can be and the impact this has on their mental health.
“So this is a positive step - but one which will be limited in scope if users opt back into addictive features. Alongside this, we need to see social media companies take responsibility for building services that are safe and age-appropriate by design, rather than placing the burden on children and families to manage risks alone.
“Platforms need to implement robust and highly effective age assurance measures to accurately identify users' ages, apply protections consistently, and make sure that all children are kept safe online.”