Prime Minister Keir Starmer has vowed to tackle “addictive features” in social media, signalling a tougher UK regulatory stance after a landmark US court ruling found Meta and YouTube liable for harms caused by addictive technology. The verdict in California, which awarded $6m (£4.5m) to a woman who became hooked on social media as a child, has intensified pressure on governments to act.
Starmer said the case reflected growing public expectations for stronger regulation. “The status quo isn’t good enough,” he stated. “We need to do more to protect children. That’s why we’re consulting about issues such as banning social media for under-16s. I’m very keen that we do more on addictive features within social media.”
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex welcomed the verdict as “a reckoning”, saying in a statement: “For too long, families have paid the price for platforms built with total disregard for the children they reach. Let this be the change – where our children’s safety is finally prioritised above profit.”
Google, which owns YouTube, announced it would appeal, arguing the case “misunderstands YouTube, which is a responsibly built streaming platform, not a social media site”. Meta also said it disagreed with the verdict and was evaluating legal options.
European Commission digital chief Henna Virkkunen said the case sent “a very clear message” that online platforms must address the risks they pose. The Molly Rose Foundation, set up after the death of 14-year-old Molly Russell, urged the UK government to “make safety and wellbeing the price for tech firms to pay for doing business in the UK”.
