Jeremy Clarkson has denied making a comment about a social media curfew for teenagers, after a false quote attributed to him went viral on X. The former Top Gear presenter responded swiftly to correct the record.
False Quote Circulates Online
On June 15, Sir Keir Starmer announced plans to ban under-16s from accessing social media as part of efforts to improve children's safety online. The ban is expected to come into effect by spring 2027, following months of campaigning from parents and MPs.
Shortly after the announcement, X user Nina Wysocka claimed that Clarkson had criticized the government's reported plan to impose a 9pm social media curfew on 16 and 17-year-olds. She attributed a quote to the 66-year-old presenter: "You don’t trust them to be on social media after 9pm, yet you’re happy for them to vote. How does that work? Am I taking crazy pills?"
Clarkson Responds
On Tuesday morning, Clarkson took to X to deny the statement. "I never said any such thing," he wrote. A community note was later added to Wysocka's tweet, indicating that readers had added context. Many of Clarkson's 7.4 million followers came to his defense.
One X user commented: "And this here shows the perfect example of misinformation. A completely made up quote - 442,000 people engaged. Actual person quote is attributed too debunking it - 763 views!" Another fumed: "With the modern internet it doesn't matter you didn't say it it will be attributed to you regardless by those who want to use those words. It's stupid but it is our new reality."
A third admitted: "Getting so sick of fake content. Hard to know what is real anymore. It does sound like something you would say!" While a fourth quipped: "Yeah, if Jeremy had said it you can get he'd have added 'you oafs' or 'you blithering idiots' to the end of the tweet."
Starmer's Social Media Ban
Starmer said social media was "making it easier for bullies to harass and abuse" children and "could even be harming their mental health – exposing them to content that is dangerous, because that's what grabs the attention." The ban is expected to cover platforms like Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and X, but not messaging services like WhatsApp and Signal.
"I’ve heard first hand from families crying out for change and we will do right by them," the Prime Minister added. "That’s why we’re going further than any country in the world by banning social media for under-16s and putting wider protections in place to give kids their childhood back. This is a line in the sand. Tech giants had their chance and failed, but we’re stepping in to protect children, back parents and set a new normal for future generations."
In July 2025, it was revealed the voting age would be lowered from 18 to 16 in time for the next general election, under plans announced by Starmer and then Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner.
