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The British government intends to impose a night-time ban on social media platforms for teenagers aged 16 and 17 as part of its efforts to curb excessive use of these platforms, but the proposal faces widespread criticism for being easily circumvented.

According to the BBC, the proposal would ban teenagers from using apps such as Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube between midnight and 6 a.m.

Ban easily disabled

This proposal is the latest step in a broader British campaign to regulate teenagers' use of social media.

Last June, the government floated the idea of banning platforms for those under 16, before British police later called on tech companies to remove certain features deemed high-risk for children.

But the new proposal relies on a more flexible mechanism, as users can easily disable the ban through simple settings, meaning its effectiveness will largely depend on teenagers' own compliance.

Criticism of the proposal

This has drawn criticism from experts and child protection organizations, who say the measure is not a real ban because it is easy to bypass.

Social media analyst Matt Navarra told the BBC that the new policy is little more than an 'annoying settings message' rather than a real regulation capable of curbing platform use.

VPN services outside the restrictions

The proposal does not include any restrictions on the use of VPNs, which allow users to change their geographic location and easily bypass imposed restrictions.

Although this method has been used before to circumvent similar laws in other countries, the British government says its studies show that teenagers' use of VPN services for this purpose is still limited, so it does not intend to take additional action against them at this time.

Implementation may begin next year

The British government plans to present the new legislation to parliament before the end of 2026, in preparation for its implementation alongside the proposed ban on social media users under 16 during the spring of next year.

The question remains whether these measures will actually succeed in reducing teenagers' use of social media, or whether the ease of bypassing them will limit their real-world impact.

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