The UK government on Wednesday unveiled plans to bring in a midnight curfew for 16- and 17-year-olds accessing social media as part of measures to protect teenagers from the most addictive aspects of such online platforms.The restrictions, which will have an opt-out option, follow a blanket ban on social media use for under-16s announced last month that is set to take effect by Spring 2027.Restrictions on certain functionalities such as livestreaming and stranger communication will be kept on by default for 16- and 17-year-olds and forced breaks in infinite scrolling for under-18s are also in the works.”Parents want to keep their kids safe and happy, but the online world has made that harder than ever,” said British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. “I’ve heard first-hand from families crying out for change and we will do right by them. That’s why we’re going further than any country in the world by banning social media for under-16s and putting wider protections in place to give kids their childhood back.”This is a line in the sand. Tech giants had their chance and failed, but we’re stepping in to protect children, back parents and set a new normal for future generations,” he said.The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) said so-called AI “romantic companion” chatbots designed to simulate sexual relationships or roleplay with users will have to enforce a minimum age of 18. Similar intimate functionalities will be restricted for under-18s on AI chatbots more widely.The UK government claims that taken together, these measures will mean a much more comprehensive model than just a blanket ban on social media.”Tech companies have had countless opportunities to keep children safe, yet they have failed to act. That is why we are taking power away from the tech giants and putting it back in parents’ hands,” said UK Technology Secretary Liz Kendall.”My driving force has always been to give every child, from every background, the best possible start in life. That is what these regulations will deliver,” she said.The DSIT described the measures as a decisive first step which marks a clear choice to put children’s well-being first and give them a healthy life online, with further steps in the pipeline.Under the proposals, default settings would stop 16- and 17-year-olds accessing social media between midnight and 6 am. However, teenagers would be able to turn off these default settings to get the same access as adults a move that has faced some criticism for not going far enough.”Either they [Labour] 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,” said Laura Trott, Conservative shadow education secretary.But the government said a pilot involving more than 300 people found the curfew helped sleep and concentration.