Social media leaders called to Downing Street over children's safety

Social media bosses are being summoned to Downing Street on Thursday to discuss children's safety online with the prime minister.

Top executives from Meta, Snap, YouTube, TikTok and X are expected to be questioned by Sir Keir Starmer and Technology Secretary Liz Kendall on what they are doing to protect children and respond to parental concerns.

Sir Keir said the meeting would be about "making sure social media companies step up and take responsibility".

It comes midway through the public consultation called by the government over whether to ban social media for under-16s, following similar measures introduced in Australia.

Downing Street did not confirm who would be representing each of the tech companies attending the meeting.

"The consequences of failing to act are stark," said Starmer.

"We owe it to parents, and to the next generation, to put children's safety first - because they won't forgive us if we don't."

Number 10 said some social media companies had already "stepped up" by putting in place protections like disabling autoplay for children by default and giving more control to parents over screen time.

Prof Gina Neff, head of the Minderoo Centre for Technology and Democracy at the University of Cambridge, said the meeting was a way for the government to appear "on the front foot" with the situation.

"This is also letting the government stay strong on online harms in a moment where there's been changing geopolitical pressures on the government to be easy on US companies," she added.

On Wednesday evening, UK MPs rejected calls to ban social media for under-16s, which had been backed by peers in the House of Lords, for a second time.

Ministers argued a ban was premature as the government was already considering introducing its own restrictions and MPs instead voted to give ministers powers to bring in their own rules.

However, Conservative shadow education secretary Laura Trott said: "Labour MPs have once again failed parents and children by voting against a ban on social media for under-16s and against removing smartphones from schools.

"Other countries are waking up to the harms, but under Keir Starmer the UK is falling behind."

Liberal Democrat education spokeswoman Munira Wilson said: "The time for half-measures is over - we need action now to restrict the most harmful platforms for under-16s."

Recent research from internet safety charity the Molly Rose Foundation found more than 60% of underage Australians are still using social media despite a ban on under-16s introduced in December 2025.