Wes Streeting says Starmer ‘behind the curve’ on under-16s social media ban

Wes Streeting, a prominent figure in the UK Labour party, has sharply criticized leader Keir Starmer, accusing him of lagging behind on the issue of social media use by children. Streeting argues that a ban on social media for under-16s should be a starting point, not an endpoint, drawing parallels between the tech industry and the tobacco sector.

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What we’ve seen from Big Tech is behaviour akin to Big Tobacco … We know from whistleblowers that in the tech industry, among those who are responsible for designing technology, including social media platforms, that are changing every aspect of our lives, they know that the product they’re designing is addictive, they know that it is harmful, and the business model is orientated towards getting kids while they’re young, addicting them with the design features that are designed for addiction, to grab your attention and keep you on their platform for as long as possible.

In a recent interview, Streeting likened Big Tech's behavior to that of Big Tobacco, suggesting that social media executives suppress evidence of harm. He stated that designers know their products are addictive and that the business model is designed to maximize user engagement. "What we’ve seen from Big Tech is behaviour akin to Big Tobacco," Streeting said. "We know from whistleblowers that in the tech industry... they know that the product they’re designing is addictive, they know that it is harmful, and the business model is orientated towards getting kids while they’re young, addicting them with the design features that are designed for addiction, to grab your attention and keep you on their platform for as long as possible."

Streeting pointed to a "growing body of evidence" detailing the negative impacts of social media on children's sleep, concentration, learning, and overall well-being, including mental health. He emphasized that the precautionary principle should apply, stating, "The harms are evident. And the precautionary principle should apply here. So yes, it is true to say that the evidence is still emerging, but I think people have got eyes and ears and they can see the consequences of this unchecked harm."

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The harms are evident. And the precautionary principle should apply here. So yes, it is true to say that the evidence is still emerging, but I think people have got eyes and ears and they can see the consequences of this unchecked harm.

He asserted that governments worldwide have been "asleep at the wheel" regarding this issue, including legislators and regulators. Streeting's intervention comes as the government consults on potential social media restrictions for under-16s, with the consultation deadline approaching. Keir Starmer is expected to announce the government's response soon, having already indicated that some form of action will be taken.

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Frankly, legislators, regulators, have been asleep at the wheel on this.