Wes Streeting compares social media giants to tobacco companies
The former Health Secretary's comments are his first intervention on the issue since he quit Sir Keir Starmer's government
Wes Streeting has likened tech companies to the tobacco industry and called for a social media ban for under-16s.
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Streeting said: “Social media should be treated like tobacco – it’s extremely addictive, bad for our health, and Big Tech is borrowing the Big Tobacco playbook to avoid regulation."
“We’ve got to give our children their childhood back", he added.
Streeting's comments come ahead of the closure of the public consultation on online safety for young people on Tuesday.
The Government’s Growing Up In The Online World consultation, which touted measures like an Australia-style social media ban for under-16s and app curfews, has been open since early March.
“A ban for under-16s must be the start, not the end," Streeting said.
“We have given the pen to tech moguls to write our future for us [...] it’s time to take the pen back.”
The Ilford North MP stepped down as Secretary of Health earlier this month whilst calling on Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to resign.
Ministers announced in April they would introduce “age or functionality restrictions” on social media for under-16s regardless of the consultation outcome, which could be put into law before the end of 2026.
The concession by the Government came after pressure from the House of Lords over the issue. Peers voted four times to press the Commons into accepting an outright ban, ending their stand-off with MPs only after ministers agreed to restrictions.
Former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner has also joined calls for a full ban for under-16s, recently questioning on the The Rest Is Politics podcast: “Why you cannot just make a decision that when it seems so clear that that’s what you need to do?”
A Government spokesperson said: “Everyone – especially children and young people – should be able to have a positive, safe experience online.
“That’s why we are consulting on a wide range of measures, from restricting social media access to potential app curfews, to ensure we get the balance right and protect young people from harm.
“We are still seeking views from parents, young people and experts before taking our next steps. More than 70,000 people have already engaged, and there is still time for others to share their views before the consultation closes at midnight (on Tuesday).
“We are also taking wider action to tackle online harm. Through the Online Safety Act, platforms have to give users more control over the content they see and stronger protections from harmful material.”