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Wed, 15 Apr 2026

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 Social media leaders called to Downing Street over children's safety

Top executives from firms such as Meta and YouTube will be asked what they are doing to protect children.

* Top executives from major social media companies (Meta, Snap, YouTube, TikTok, and X) will meet with UK Prime Minister and opposition leader Sir Keir Starmer on Thursday to discuss children's safety online.
* The meeting aims to address concerns about the protection of minors and parental worries about their use of social media platforms.
* The government is considering introducing restrictions or a ban on under-16s using social media, following a public consultation that has received over 45,000 responses.
* Some experts have welcomed the meeting as an opportunity for the government to show it's taking action on online safety, while others argue that more concrete measures are needed to address the issue.
* The UK is considering introducing its own rules and regulations to protect children online, rather than following a ban similar to Australia's introduced in 2025.
* Research has shown that despite the Australian ban, over 60% of underage Australians are still using social media.
* The meeting is also seen as an opportunity for the government to demonstrate its commitment to protecting children from the potential harms of social media.