Social media leaders called to Downing Street over children’s safety
Social media leaders called to Downing Street over children’s safety
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has invited senior executives from major social media platforms to a meeting at Downing Street on Thursday. The gathering will focus on how these companies are addressing the issue of online safety for minors, with Starmer and Technology Secretary Liz Kendall set to press them on their measures. The companies under scrutiny include Meta, Snap, YouTube, TikTok, and X, as the government seeks to ensure they are prioritizing child protection.
The meeting takes place during a broader government review into potential restrictions on social media for users under 16. This follows the implementation of similar regulations in Australia, which have sparked debate in the UK. Downing Street has not yet disclosed which representatives will attend from each company. Starmer emphasized the urgency, stating,
“The consequences of failing to act are stark. We owe it to parents, and to the next generation, to put children’s safety first—because they won’t forgive us if we don’t.”
UK Parliament members voted against a proposal to ban social media for under-16s for the second time in recent weeks. The decision came despite backing from peers in the House of Lords. Ministers argued that a ban was premature, as the government is still exploring its own rules. However, Laura Trott, the Conservative shadow education secretary, criticized the move, claiming,
“Labour MPs have once again failed parents and children by voting against a ban on social media for under-16s and against removing smartphones from schools. Other countries are waking up to the harms, but under Keir Starmer the UK is falling behind.”
Munira Wilson, a Liberal Democrat education spokeswoman, called for decisive action, stating,
“The time for half-measures is over—we need action now to restrict the most harmful platforms for under-16s.”
Meanwhile, recent findings from the Molly Rose Foundation, an internet safety charity, revealed that over 60% of underage Australians continue to use social media even after a ban on under-16s was enforced in December 2025.
The foundation, founded by the family of Molly Russell, a 14-year-old who died by suicide in 2017 after exposure to self-harm content on platforms like Instagram, welcomed the meeting but urged concrete steps. Andy Burrows, its CEO, said,
“Keir Starmer must turn his welcome rhetoric into action with a clear commitment in the King’s Speech to a new Online Safety Act that finally calls time on cavalier business models that put profit before safety.”
Prof Amy Orben, a digital mental health researcher at Cambridge University, highlighted the need to hold companies accountable for their algorithms. She noted,
“Social media companies’ increasingly powerful algorithms have caused concern across the population, with young people and parents telling us that they experience struggles to disengage from the online world.”
The national consultation, which also examines age limits for gaming sites and AI chatbots, will conclude on 26 May. Downing Street reported receiving over 45,000 responses and support from around 80 organizations, including schools and community groups.
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