Keir Starmer ‘very keen’ for action on ‘addictive features within social media’

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said he is “very keen” for the Government to tackle addictive features within social media following a landmark trial in the US. In a potentially precedent-setting ruling on Wednesday in Los Angeles, a jury ruled that Google, owner of YouTube, and Meta, which operates Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, built platforms to hook young users without regard for their wellbeing. The lawsuit, brought after a young woman argued a childhood addiction to social media had exacerbated her mental health issues, could influence the outcomes of thousands of similar cases which accuse social media firms of causing harm. Asked if the landmark trial pointed to a shift in public mood with expectation of more aggressive regulation, Sir Keir told reporters: “I think it does, and obviously we’ll study that ruling very carefully, but I’m absolutely clear that we need to go further. “The status quo isn’t good enough. 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.” Subscribe to The Standard: https://www.standard.co.uk/register for latest breaking news from the UK, US and around the world, plus podcasts and features. Evening Standard on socials: Check out our full video catalog: youtube.com/channel/UC7RQon_YwCnp_LbPtEwW65w?sub_confirmation=1 Videos, daily editorial and more: https://www.standard.co.uk/ Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/TheLondonStandard Follow us on Twitter: x.com/theLDNstandard and Instagram: instagram.com/thelondonstandard