Summary
Social media company leaders are meeting in Downing Street with Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the UK’s Technology Secretary Liz Kendall to discuss how to protect children online. This meeting comes as the government reviews whether to ban social media use for children under 16, following similar steps taken in Australia.
Key Facts
- Top executives from Meta, Snap, YouTube, TikTok, and X are invited to the meeting.
- The UK government is holding a public consultation on banning social media for under-16s, ending on May 26.
- UK MPs recently voted against a ban on social media use for under-16s but gave ministers powers to introduce regulations.
- Some social media platforms have added child protections like disabling autoplay videos and giving parents screen-time controls.
- Australia introduced a ban on social media use for under-16s in December 2025, but over 60% of underage Australians still use social media.
- The Molly Rose Foundation campaigns for safer online spaces after a young girl died by suicide linked to harmful content.
- Experts say social media algorithms can make it hard for young people to stop using these platforms.
- The meeting aims to hold social media companies responsible for protecting children online and responding to parents’ concerns.
