Starmer targets social media giants as Kendall faces AI legal threat
Sir Keir Starmer has called senior executives from Snap, Tiktok, Snap and Meta into Downing Street, as ministers double crack down on Big Tech’s effects on child safety.
The meeting comes as tech secretary Liz Kendall faces mounting scrutiny over the government’s use of AI in the same consultation process.
Starmer will tell the firms in question that “looking the other way is not an option”, as he considers sweeping reforms including a ban on social media use for children under 16 years old.
Ministers are also weighing up limits on addictive features and tighter controls on AI tools.
The talks come halfway through the “growing up in an online world” consultation, which has drawn more than 45,000 responses and is due to close on 26 May.
Ministers have already taken powers designed to allow rapid intervention once the process concludes.
Officials are looking into measures including minimum age thresholds, app curfews and restrictions on algorithm-driven feeds, as concerns heighten over the impact of social media on children’s education and mental health.
AI row casts shadow over consultation
The regulation crackdown has been complicated by a legal challenge targeting Kendall’s department, the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology, over its handling of consultation responses.
Campaigners from Unplug.Scot and Generation Alpha are preparing to take the government to the High Court, arguing that the use of AI tools to summarise submissions risks bias and conflicts of interest.
The consultation is expected to rely on AI systems hosted on infrastructure from Microsoft and Amazon, with the ability to draw on models developed by firms including Meta, Google and X, all of which are directly affected by the proposed regulation.
This could be creating a circular process in which companies facing potential restrictions are also shaping how public responses are interpreted.
The government has previously acknowledged risks around AI outputs, including inaccuracies and embedded bias, while insisting safeguards are in place.
The legal challenge adds to wider political pressure on the consultation, with peers in the House of Lords raising concerns about its design and MPs set to vote again on potential age restrictions.
Morning Wire approached the DSIT for comment.