Overview
- Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the government will act to stop features like infinite scroll and streaks that keep children online.
- Ministers have opened a consultation on a possible bar on social media for under‑16s, with Starmer saying he is open‑minded about a full ban.
- The government has added powers to the children’s wellbeing and schools bill to let ministers make quick rule changes through secondary legislation to target “addictive functionalities.”
- A Los Angeles jury found Meta and Google liable for a woman’s childhood social media addiction and awarded $6 million, and both companies plan to appeal.
- Officials are weighing moves to raise the digital age of consent to limit personalised feeds, require more transparency about engagement‑driving algorithms, and give users more control over what they see.