Streeting likens social media to tobacco as pressure grows for under-16s ban

Wes Streeting likens tech companies to the tobacco industry and medical leaders liken the dangers of social media to smoking as pressure grows on ministers to impose a ban on under-16s ahead of the closing of an online safety advisory.

The government’s Thriving in an Online World consultation meeting, which covers measures such as an Australian-style social media ban on under-16s, app curfews and restrictions on addictive features, is finally wrapping up on Tuesday.

In his first intervention on the issue since leaving the Government earlier this month, former health minister Mr Streeting said: “Social media should be treated like tobacco – it is hugely addictive, bad for our health and Big Tech is borrowing Big Tobacco’s playbook to avoid regulation.

“We must give our children their childhood back.

“The under-16 ban should be the beginning, not the end.

“We gave the pen to technology giants to write our future for us.

“It’s time to take back the pen.”

Meanwhile, a report released to the public by the Academy of Royal Colleges of Medicine said social media and smartphone use “rank alongside smoking and wearing seatbelts in cars as a unifying force for the medical profession”.

The report said doctors were seeing “a wave of radicalized children” due to exposure to “hateful, addictive and deeply distressing content.”

Half of the 454 doctors surveyed by the academy, made up of 22 member royal colleges, said they treated at least one child a week whose mental problems or physical injuries were linked to online content.

The report included harrowing stories of deaths and injuries resulting from “copying extreme acts of pornography” and interest in violence or radicalization.

Families who have lost relatives to harm linked to online platforms will meet Sir Keir Starmer on Tuesday and urge him to fulfill the Government’s promise to impose social media restrictions on under-16s.

There are widespread calls for the UK to follow Australia’s ban, although there are questions about how effective the ban is.

Ministers announced in April that they would impose “age or functionality restrictions” on social media for under-16s regardless of the outcome of the consultation, with the proposals to be announced by the summer and plans to legislate before the end of the year.

The government’s concession follows pressure on the issue from the House of Lords, led by Tory former education secretary and academy chain founder Lord Nash.

Peers voted four times to pressure the Commons to pass an outright ban, only ending their row with MPs after ministers agreed to the restrictions.

Lord Nash said: “The Government has made a commitment to Parliament that it will introduce some form of age or functionality restriction on social media for children under 16.

“We now expect them to fulfill this commitment fully and as quickly as possible.

“Hundreds of thousands of people have made their voices heard, demanding the Government raise the age of access to harmful social media to 16….

“And today the Prime Minister will meet bereaved parents who have been campaigning tirelessly to prevent these experiences from happening to others.

“Please continue.”

Ellen Roome, who believes her son Jools Sweeney died at the age of 14 during an attempted online challenge, said: “I, and other families who have lost children to social media, will tell the Prime Minister directly: Social media is a product and, like other faulty products that cause children to die, it should be restricted until the companies responsible can fix it and prove it is safe.

“We cannot continue to speculate any further; we need clarity.”

But another coalition of children’s organizations warned that focusing solely on age limits risks failing to address the structural drivers of online harm.

The Children’s Coalition for Online Safety, led by the 5Rights Foundation and including groups such as the NSPCC and Girlguiding, has called for a broader overhaul of tech companies’ business models and product design choices that attract young users.

In a joint statement, 25 organizations called for a ban on targeted advertising and manipulative design features; Banning personalized services for those under 13 and penalizing companies that fail to maintain default security protections for those under 16; stronger regulation of AI systems, including child-focused risk assessments; and creating an independent online safety commissioner.

Leanda Barrington-Leach, chief executive of the 5Rights Foundation, said: “We won’t fix this by tinkering around the edges, tweaking features or relying solely on age limits.

“The problem is not a single product or environment; it is built into the system itself, business models and design choices that prioritize interactivity, data extraction, and profit over the welfare of children.

“If a product was not safe for children offline, it would not be released. We must insist on the same logic online.

“The onus should be on these businesses to demonstrate that their services are safe for children, not on parents or children to manage or manage this risk on their own.”

Technology companies that prioritize profits over keeping children safe “cannot be allowed to continue”, the NSPCC charity said.

Rani Govender, vice president of children’s policy, said policymakers need to “set out a path forward that requires platforms to provide security to every device, feature and AI tool from the start, prevents children from encountering harmful or illegal content, and ensures they only access services appropriate to their age through risk-based age ratings, which children and adults tell us they strongly support.”

“This also means an end to addictive design gimmicks that keep young users browsing, gaming and watching for hours.”

A Government spokesman said: “Everyone, especially children and young people, should be able to have a positive, safe experience online.

“That’s why we’re consulting on a wide range of measures, from restricting social media access to potential enforcement curfews, to make sure we get the balance right and protect young people from harm.

“We are still seeking input from parents, young people and experts before we take our next steps. More than 70,000 people have already taken part and there is still time for others to share their views before the consultation closes at midnight.

“We are also taking broader steps to combat online harm. Through the Online Safety Act, platforms must give users greater control over the content they see and provide stronger protection against harmful material.”