Tech bosses summoned to Downing Street as PM urges new protections for children on social media
The meeting comes after MPs failed to back a ban on social media for under-16s on Wednesday
Sir Keir Starmer will haul social media bosses to Downing Street on Thursday after a ban on under-16s using social media was voted down by MPs.
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Senior figures from TikTok, X, Meta and other social media giants will go to Downing Street as the Prime Minister tries to push them to go further on protecting children as the Government weighs new restrictions.
The Prime Minister said the talks on Thursday will be about “making sure social media companies step up and take responsibility” as failing to act would have “stark” consequences.
This comes despite the Government failing to back a Lords amendment to the Children and Wellbeing Schools Bill, which would have banned under-16s from social media on Wednesday night.
The Government did not support the amendment from former schools minister, Lord Nash, and instead is waiting for the end of a consultation into social media addiction before bringing forward its own measures.
Measure being consulted upon could include an Australia-style social media ban for under-16s, limits on addictive features, and stronger controls on AI chatbots.
Sir Keir has previously been hesitant to support an outright ban but has signalled he will take action to curb features such as infinite scrolling that keep young users hooked to social media.
Senior leaders from Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta, Elon Musk’s X, Snap, TikTok, and Google – which owns YouTube – will be questioned by Sir Keir and Technology Secretary Liz Kendall on what they are doing to protect children and respond to parental concerns.
Writing exclusively for LBC Opinion, the Prime Minister said: "Launched six weeks ago, we are now at the mid-way point of our national conversation on growing up in the online world.
"I’ve already heard the views of parents, teenagers, academics and experts. They are clear with me that people want the benefits of technology, but not the harms that too often come with social media.
"It’s a worry I’ve heard repeatedly from parents over recent weeks. They are worried about the pace of change, about a lack of control, and, above all else, about the wellbeing and safety of their children using it.
"As a dad to two teenagers, I completely get that. I feel those same worries that millions of parents do. Like them, I want to know that when my kids pick up their phones, they’re not being exposed to things that can harm them, or glued to their screens by addictive design. That’s why getting this right matters so deeply to me.
"In a world where technology is moving faster than ever before, it’s a challenge we must all step up to face – and that means social media companies too."
Some social media firms have already ramped up protective measures such as disabling autoplay for younger users, giving parents more control over screen time and introducing curfews, but the Prime Minister has said they must go further, No 10 said.
A ban for under-16s has received pushback from the industry, with Google’s UK boss warning that is not the “right approach” and could push children towards more dangerous corners of the internet.
Kate Alessi, managing director and vice-president of Google UK and Ireland, told the Press Association last month: “We believe blanket bans take choices away from parents and push kids out of supervised spaces.”
Lord Nash, a Conservative former schools minister, has said recent court cases in the US which found social media platforms liable for designing addictive platforms and exposing children to harmful content were “game changers” for his cause of introducing an age limit.
The Government has promised to move quickly once its Growing Up In The Online World consultation closes on May 26, with changes to be made within months.
It has already received more than 45,000 responses, including from nearly 6,000 young people, according to Downing Street.
Ellen Roome, founder of Jools Law and bereaved mother of Jools Sweeney, said: "Photo opportunities in Downing Street do nothing to protect children. I have written to the Prime Minister and he has never bothered to reply.
"Social media companies have sat in rooms with parents like me - parents who have lost their children - and heard exactly what their platforms do.
"They have heard it in meetings and they have heard it in courtrooms. And still they do nothing. This meeting will be no different
"It is just a stunt designed to distract from the fact that the Government told its own MPs to vote against raising the age limit.
"The Prime Minister says he will take all necessary steps to protect children - except the one step that is actually in his power. Acting now to raise the age limit for harmful social media to 16. My message to the Prime Minister is very clear, we don’t need more meetings. We just need leadership."