# Teenagers overwhelmingly likely to turn off optional social media curfews – poll

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/teenagers-overwhelmingly-likely-to-turn-off-optional-social-media-curfews-poll/
- Published: 2026-08-06T23:01:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-08-25T02:33:14+00:00
- Original publisher: The Independent (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/teenagers-keir-starmer-bridget-phillipson-munira-wilson-government-b3029018.html
- Topics: Elections, Politics

## Key points

- 84.6% of teens polled say they'd opt out of social media curfews
- Curfew would block access from midnight-6am but is switchable off
- Lib Dems want age ratings instead; Government defends curfew trials

## Summary

Polling suggests that most 16 to 18-year-olds intend to disable the Government's planned social media curfews, undermining a flagship online safety policy announced by Sir Keir Starmer shortly before leaving office. The scheme would block 16 and 17-year-olds from social media between midnight and 6am by default, but users could switch it off, and the findings raise doubts about whether an opt-out approach can meaningfully reduce online harms to young people.

The Censuswide poll, commissioned by the Online Responsibility Network, found that 84.6% of 16-18-year-olds said they would turn off the curfew, with 45.2% citing a wish to stay in touch with friends or family and 37.2% wanting to keep watching online content. The Online Responsibility Network's Leanne Proctor argued that curfews alone are unlikely to prevent online harms and called for stronger design-level protections and age verification instead. The Government pointed to separate research showing 64% of 16-21-year-olds backed night-time app restrictions and said trials found curfews improved sleep and concentration, while the Liberal Democrats' Munira Wilson criticised the policy as tackling symptoms rather than causes and called for film-style age ratings instead.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.