British premier calls on senior social media leaders to ‘step up’ for children’s safety

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday called on senior social media leaders to “step up” to keep children safe online.

“I know parents are worried about social media and its impact on their children’s safety. They rightly expect fast action. Today, I’m calling on senior leaders from X, Meta, Snap, YouTube and TikTok to step up,” Starmer wrote on US social media platform X.

He vowed to do “whatever it takes” to keep children safe online.

Starmer’s remarks came as his office announced that he would bring leaders later in the day to “press for progress on one of the most urgent issues affecting children today,” according to a Prime Minister’s Office statement.

He is expected to point out that “looking the other way is not an option,” it said.

“When it comes to keeping young people safe online, the Prime Minister has been clear this is not a question of if the government will act, but how,” the statement added.

It said Starmer will specify government’s principles and values when it comes to protecting children during the meeting, “and press for answers from companies on what they are doing to keep children safe online and responding to families’ concerns.”