Sir Keir Starmer has told tech bosses that ‘things can’t go on like this’ as he demanded action on the risks faced by children on social media.
The Prime Minister hauled in chiefs from X, Meta, Snap, TikTok and Google, which owns YouTube, to demand they take action to protect children.
But the Tories accused him of mixed messaging for issuing the call just a day after his MPs voted down a proposal to ban under-16s from accessing social media.
The PM told the gathered tech giants that ‘looking the other way is not an option’ as he warned that the consequences of failing to act were ‘stark’.
‘Things can’t go on like this, they must change because right now social media is putting our children at risk,’ he said.
‘In a world in which children are protected, even if that means access is restricted, that is preferable to a world where harm is the price of participation.’
The Prime Minister added: ‘I am determined we will build a better future for our children, and look forward to working with you on this.
‘I do think this can be done. I think the question is not whether it is done, the question is how it is done.’
Sir Keir is under pressure from bereaved families who have called for more action on taming the tech giants.
But his MPs voted down a proposal to ban social media for under-16s, despite other countries doing so.
Last month, MPs voted against a Lords proposal for an outright ban. One Labour MP John McDonnell previously rebelled against the Government to support a ban.
The shadow education secretary Laura Trott said: ‘The PM has the nerve to say that parents are worried about social media and rightly expect fast action, when the only person standing in the way of any action is him.
‘He instructed Labour MPs to vote against a social media ban for a second time last night. Parents will feel desperately let down, everyday Labour don’t act more children are being harmed.’
Sir Keir would not commit to a timeline when pressed on when the Government might begin making changes.
Asked whether he would act by the summer, the Prime Minister told LBC after the meeting: ‘We’ll get through the consultation, obviously, but the reason we took the powers early was to make sure that once the consultation is over and we’ve evaluated it, we can move very quickly.’
The Government says it is not supporting the amendments because it is consulting on online safety measures for children, which could include a social media ban for under-16s.
Sir Keir has previously been hesitant to support an outright ban but has signalled he will take action to make social media safer.
Australia restricted access for under 16s at the end of last year, while other European countries including Spain and Greece have similar plans.
Andy Burrows, chief executive of the Molly Rose Foundation, urged the Prime Minister to ‘decisively commit to strengthening regulation to make unsafe and addictive design a thing of the past’.
Asked about a ban on Wednesday night, Labour deputy leader Lucy Powell said: ‘We absolutely have to act more’.
Asked why MPs were voting against a ban, she said: ‘A ban is on the table. A ban is absolutely on the table. In fact, we’ve already acquired the powers.’
