Social media leaders called to Downing Street over children’s safety
Social media leaders called to Downing Street over children’s safety
Key figures from major social media platforms are set to meet at Downing Street on Thursday to address concerns about online safety for children. Representatives from Meta, Snap, YouTube, TikTok, and X will be questioned by Sir Keir Starmer and Technology Secretary Liz Kendall regarding their efforts to shield young users and address parental worries. Starmer stressed that the gathering aims to push social media giants to assume more responsibility for the impact of their services on youth.
Downing Street has not yet disclosed which executives will represent each company in the meeting. “The consequences of inaction are severe,” Starmer warned.
“We owe it to parents and the next generation to prioritize children’s safety—because they won’t forgive us if we don’t.”
The discussion comes as the government continues a public consultation on restricting social media access for those under 16, inspired by policies in Australia. While some platforms have introduced features like disabling autoplay for children by default and giving parents greater control over screen time, ministers argue a full ban is premature. The consultation will close on 26 May, with over 45,000 responses and input from 80 organizations, including schools and community groups, already received.
UK lawmakers have twice rejected proposals to ban social media for minors, with peers in the House of Lords supporting the measure previously. Conservative shadow education secretary Laura Trott criticized the decision, stating:
“Labour MPs have once again let parents and children down by voting against a ban and against removing smartphones from schools.”
Liberal Democrat education spokeswoman Munira Wilson added:
“The time for half-measures is over—we need decisive action to limit the most harmful platforms for under-16s.”
Recent research from the Molly Rose Foundation highlighted that more than 60% of Australian teens still use social media despite a December 2025 ban for users under 16. Founded by Molly Russell’s family after her 2017 suicide linked to online content, the charity opposes an Australia-style ban in the UK. Andy Burrows, its chief executive, welcomed the meeting but urged Starmer to convert rhetoric into tangible steps.
“Keir Starmer must transform his welcoming words into action with a clear commitment in the King’s Speech to a new Online Safety Act that ends reckless business models prioritizing profit over protection.”
Prof Gina Neff, director of the Minderoo Centre for Technology and Democracy at Cambridge University, noted the meeting allows the government to demonstrate leadership amid shifting global pressures to ease regulations on US-based companies. Meanwhile, Prof Amy Orben, a digital mental health expert, emphasized the need to hold platforms accountable for their algorithms.
“Young people and parents express growing anxiety about the difficulty of disconnecting from the digital world, driven by increasingly sophisticated platform algorithms.”