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UK to pilot social media bans, time limits, and curfews for teenagers

Social media icons next to an tablet and a laptop.
The pilot will run across 300 teenage homes to inform national consultation on children’s online safety. Photo: hocus-focus/Getty Images

The government hopes the scheme will help assess the impact of online restrictions on children, including their sleep, family life, mental health, and schoolwork.

The UK government has announced a “first of its kind” pilot to introduce social media bans, curfews, and app time limits across 300 teenage homes. The scheme is part of the government’s broader efforts to improve children’s safety and wellbeing online.

It will run for six weeks, and ministers hope the