British Prime Minister Kire Starmer has called on social media companies to “step up and take responsibility” for children’s online safety ahead of a meeting today with executives from Meta, Snap, Google, TikTok, and X.
Starmer’s government has increased scrutiny on social media companies because children are being exposed to danger online without clear accountability, and has pledged to take steps to limit the impact of such apps on sleep, family life, and schoolwork.
“Social media is shaping the way children see themselves, their friendships, and the world around them. When this involves real risks, averting our gaze is not an option. I will take all necessary steps to ensure that children are safe online. Today it’s about ensuring that social media companies step up and take responsibility,” the prime minister said ahead of the meeting.
The government acknowledged some protections already taken by some social media companies–like disabling autoplay on YouTube for children and giving parents more control over the amount of time children spend on screens, including time limits–but Starmer wants to go further.
Britain will be consulting until next month on whether to restrict children’s access to social media, including a possible ban on children under 16, time restrictions, limits on the time of application, and restrictions on what it calls addictive features in social media design.
Last year, Australia became the first country to ban the use of social media for children under 16, and now other European countries are considering similar measures.
Ask me anything
Explore related questions