STARMER VOWS TO TIGHTEN SOCIAL MEDIA RULES, SAYS PLATFORMS WON’T GET ‘FREE PASS’ ON CHILD SAFETY
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Agency Report
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has unveiled plans to strengthen protections for children online, warning that social media platforms will no longer receive a “free pass” when it comes to safeguarding young users.
In a post on X late Sunday, Starmer declared, “No social media platform should get a free pass when it comes to protecting our kids. That’s why I’m taking action.”
The Prime Minister elaborated on his position in a detailed post published on Substack, framing the move as a direct response to growing parental concerns over the harms children face online.
“As a parent of two teenage children myself, I know that children’s access to social media is something that is front and centre of a lot of parents’ minds right now,” Starmer wrote. “We all say we will do anything to protect our children – and I think it’s right that the government supports parents through this.”
Crackdown on Online Harms
Starmer highlighted persistent dangers including grooming, bullying, misogyny, and self-harm content, questioning whether tech companies had done enough to address the risks.
“What have the social media companies done with that? Where is the great push from them to get their house in order?” he asked.
He pointed to recent government intervention involving X’s artificial intelligence chatbot, Grok, which was required to address concerns after it was found capable of generating non-consensual images.
“It was clear then that government intervention is needed to hold social media companies to account and keep young women safe,” he stated.
New Legal Powers and Restrictions
Starmer said the government would tighten existing online safety laws to ensure AI chatbot providers are clearly within regulatory scope, stressing that rules must keep pace with technological change.
He also outlined additional measures under consideration, including:
Setting a minimum age limit for social media use
Restricting addictive features such as endless scrolling and autoplay
Limiting children’s use of VPNs to bypass age restrictions
Expanding bans on nudification apps and criminalising the creation of intimate images without consent
“We will bring new powers that will give us the ability to crack down on the addictive elements of social media,” he said, adding that this includes stopping autoplay and “never-ending scrolling” that keeps children hooked on screens.
Prepared for a Fight
Starmer made clear that the government is prepared to confront major technology companies if necessary.
“And if that means a fight with the big social media companies, then bring it on,” he wrote. “Politics can be a force for good. We can protect our children, and we can protect their childhood.”
The proposals come amid a broader debate in the UK over strengthening online safety laws and regulating emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, in the interest of child wellbeing.
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