Evan Spiegel, the chief executive of Snap Inc., has confirmed that Snapchat is willing to implement mandatory daily time limits for teenage users. Speaking on 16 September 2026, he described the introduction of such restrictions as an “important step forward for the industry”.
The move represents a significant shift for the platform, which has previously prioritised the quality of screen time over strict duration. The development follows similar commitments from other major tech firms, such as Meta, to bolster safety features for minor accounts in response to increasing regulatory pressure.
While the technical specifics of the enforcement—such as whether the app will use a “hard” lockout or a “soft” notification once a limit is reached—are yet to be fully detailed, the limits are expected to be automated based on a user’s verified age.
Regulatory pressure in the UK
The announcement arrives as the UK government moves forward with its implementation of the Online Safety Act, overseen by the regulator Ofcom. Ministers have already set out landmark plans to ban social media for children under the age of 16, a policy scheduled for introduction in Spring 2027.
For older teenagers aged 16 and 17, the government is proposing a “midnight curfew” which would see addictive features and access restricted by default between 12am and 6am to prevent late-night scrolling.
Mr Spiegel has previously spoken about his own approach to technology at home, revealing that he limits his children to just 90 minutes of screen time per week. He suggested that industry-wide daily limits would provide a consistent framework for parents across different platforms.
Existing tools for parents
Currently, Snapchat operates a “Family Centre” which allows parents and guardians to see who their teenagers are messaging without viewing the private content of those conversations. However, this tool does not yet include a feature for parents to enforce a hard daily time limit remotely.
The proposed industry-wide limits are expected to integrate with these existing parental controls. Questions remain regarding how the platform will verify user ages to ensure the limits are applied correctly to existing accounts, and whether parents will be granted the authority to override the automated restrictions.
The shift towards time-based restrictions marks a departure from earlier industry stances that focused primarily on content moderation. It follows a broader crackdown on features deemed “addictive” by regulators, such as infinite scrolling and auto-playing videos, which are frequently cited as contributors to excessive screen time among young people.
