UK PM Starmer Meets Social Media Execs on Child Safety

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is convening senior executives from major social media companies at Downing Street on Thursday to urge stronger measures protecting children from online harms. The meeting, involving leaders from Meta, X, TikTok, Snap and Google—which owns YouTube—will focus on the platforms' efforts to address parental concerns and safeguard young users.

Starmer and Technology Secretary Liz Kendall plan to question the executives on current protections and push for expanded responsibilities. The discussions occur midway through the government's "Growing Up in the Online World" consultation, which ends on May 26 and has drawn over 45,000 responses, including nearly 6,000 from young people. The consultation examines potential restrictions such as an under-16 ban modeled on Australia's policy enacted last year, limits on addictive features like infinite scrolling, app time curfews, screen time controls and enhanced safeguards for AI chatbots.

The prime minister has emphasized the urgency of action. "Social media shapes how children see themselves, their friendships and the world around them," Starmer said ahead of the talks. "When that comes with real risks,...