Starmer summons X, TikTok and Meta bosses to No 10 as he pushes for further action on child safety online
Sir Keir Starmer will summon senior figures from TikTok, X and Meta to Downing Street this week to demand more action on protecting children as the government considers new online restrictions.
The Prime Minister stated that Thursday’s talks aimed to “ensure that social media companies take steps and take responsibility” and warned that failure to act would lead to “painful” consequences.
The meeting comes amid government consultations exploring measures such as an Australian-style social media ban on under-16s, limiting addictive features and improved controls for AI chatbots.
The leaders of Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta, Elon Musk’s
The government faces growing pressure to emulate Australia’s approach, as opposition MPs defend Conservative John Nash’s amendment to the Child Welfare and Schools Bill, which aims to ban under-16s from the most harmful platforms.
Sir Keir, who has previously been hesitant to issue an outright ban, has indicated he is willing to tackle features such as infinite scrolling to keep younger users engaged.
Ahead of the talks, the Labor leader said: “Social media is shaping how children see themselves, their friendships and the world around them. “When it comes to these real risks, looking the other way is not an option.
“Parents rightly expect action, and action quickly, so by the time our consultations have concluded we have already received the powers needed to act quickly.
“I will take whatever steps necessary to keep children safe online. Today is about making sure social media companies step up and take responsibility.
“The consequences of failure to act are severe. We owe it to parents and future generations to put children’s safety first, because they won’t forgive us if we don’t.”
Some social media firms have already stepped up protective measures such as disabling autoplay for younger users, giving parents more control over screen time and introducing curfews, but No 10 said the Prime Minister had said they needed to go further.
The ban on under-16s was met with reaction from the industry when Google’s UK boss warned that this was not the “right approach” and could push children into more dangerous corners of the internet.
“We believe blanket bans take choice out of parents’ hands and remove children from regulated areas,” Kate Alessi, managing director and vice president of Google UK and Ireland, told the Press Association last month.
Lord Nash, the former Conservative schools minister, said recent cases in the US, which found social media platforms were responsible for designing addictive platforms and exposing children to harmful content, were a “game changer” as they introduced age limits.
The government has pledged to act quickly when the Growing in an Online World consultation session ends on 26 May, with changes due to be made within a few months.
More than 45,000 responses have already been received, including nearly 6,000 young people, according to Downing Street.
