Fri, 20 Feb 2026

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 Starmer 'appeasing' big tech firms, says online safety campaigner

Baroness Kidron tells the BBC the PM has being "late to the party" in regulating social media.
Crossbench peer Baroness Kidron has criticized Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and his government for being slow to regulate social media and artificial intelligence, accusing them of "appeasing" big tech companies. She said that instead of launching more consultations, the government should "get on with it" and implement stronger online safety protections. Baroness Kidron also took issue with Sir Keir's claim that he is an expert on the subject due to his experience as a father of two teenage children, arguing that this does not make him qualified. The government has rejected these claims, citing their own efforts to introduce "some of the strongest online safety protections in the world". However, Baroness Kidron pointed out that many of the proposals put forward by Sir Keir have already been debated in Parliament and could be accepted as soon as next week. She accused the Prime Minister of being too soft on tech companies, saying that successive governments have "pushed back" on proposals to regulate AI chatbots and other issues. Baroness Kidron also criticized Sir Keir's claim that his children are vulnerable to social media dangers, arguing that they are "sheltered" compared to many others. Sir Keir has launched a consultation on banning under-16s from social media and cracking down on addictive elements of the apps, but Baroness Kidron said this is not enough and that the government needs to take more decisive action. She quoted Winston Churchill, saying "the appeaser thinks that they feed the crocodile in the hope they'll be eaten last", accusing Sir Keir's government of being too lenient towards tech companies. The government has responded by saying that they are committed to protecting children online and will not hesitate to take action against big tech companies. However, Baroness Kidron remains skeptical, arguing that more needs to be done to regulate the tech industry and protect young people from its dangers.
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