Children's Commissioner Backs Midnight Curfew to Protect Teenagers Online

Dame Rachel de Souza, the Children's Commissioner for England, has issued a statement supporting a midnight curfew on social media for older teenagers, emphasising the urgent need to shield young people from addictive, infinite scrolling, dangerous strangers, and explicit content. Rather than imposing outright prohibitions on social media access, de Souza argues that 16 and 17-year-olds seek balanced protections that preserve their online freedoms whilst ensuring their safety and wellbeing. The intervention highlights a nuanced approach to digital safeguarding, recognising that young people value their social media connections but require robust defences against online harms. By advocating for time restrictions rather than bans, the Commissioner underscores the importance of age-appropriate safeguards that listen to young people's voices whilst addressing the genuine risks they face in largely unregulated digital spaces.