British officials have revealed that they have been in talks with senior members of US President Donald Trump’s administration over the United Kingdom’s(UK) planned restrictions on children’s access to social media platforms.
The proposed ban, which affects platforms including X, Facebook, YouTube, Snapchat and TikTok, places the UK among the first countries to introduce restrictions on children’s use of social media, following Australia’s similar move.
Officials said the discussions were aimed at assuring US authorities that the measures are not specifically targeted at American technology companies.
According to a person involved in the discussions, British ministers adopted a three-pronged strategy to address concerns surrounding the policy. The approach includes engaging directly with technology companies, briefing the US administration in advance and countering misconceptions through the media.
However, British officials remain aware of the risk of retaliation from Trump, whom Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to meet at the G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains this week. Trump had previously threatened the UK with “a big tariff” if the government failed to scrap its digital services tax.
A source involved in the effort said the measures were intended to protect children rather than target US technology firms.
“This is about protecting children in Britain, not taking on US tech,” the source said.
Asked about the possibility of triggering a fresh dispute with Washington, Starmer said: “I honestly think that across world leaders there has always been a recognition that leaders have to take steps to protect children.”
“In relation to President Trump, I spoke to him on Saturday, I’ll see him again this afternoon and, yes, of course, we’ll discuss this and many other issues, and lots of other leaders are very interested in it,” the Prime Minister added.
Speaking at a press conference in Downing Street, Starmer argued that social media was making children unhappy and exposing them to bullying.
“Social media is making children unhappy, it’s making it easier for bullies to harass and abuse them, and it could even be harming their mental health,” he said.
The Prime Minister, who previously opposed such restrictions, said he had been persuaded by evidence gathered during the government’s 12-week consultation.
In addition to imposing age limits on several social media platforms, the UK government plans to prohibit children under the age of 16 from livestreaming themselves online.
The measures will also prevent adults from making unsolicited contact with children on gaming platforms and bar individuals under 18 from interacting with romantic chatbots.
Services exempted from the restrictions include YouTube Kids, Lego Play and Google Classroom.
For more details, visit PrimeTimes