UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said the government will "have to act" to curb addictive features on social media platforms, stating such design elements "shouldn't be permitted". His comments, made in an interview with The Times, represent his strongest intervention yet on potential curbs for tech companies.
Starmer cited specific features like infinite scrolling and autoplay as examples of addictive design that could be targeted. He emphasized the need to protect children's mental health, linking social media use to issues like anxiety and eating disorders.
The Prime Minister's stance aligns with the existing Online Safety Act, which became law in October 2023. The Act places a duty of care on tech companies to protect users, especially children, from harmful content. However, Starmer's latest remarks suggest a potential for further, more specific regulatory action targeting platform design itself.
This position places the UK government alongside other jurisdictions, like the European Union with its Digital Services Act, in seeking to impose stricter rules on major technology firms. The government's approach is expected to be detailed further in upcoming consultations on implementing the Online Safety Act.
