Will the US social media addiction verdict change the rules for UK children?
After a landmark US ruling against Meta and Google, UK ministers say “nothing is off the table” on children’s social media use.
A landmark court ruling in the United States has reignited the debate over children and social media in the UK, with ministers signalling tougher action could be on the way.
A Los Angeles jury has found that Meta and Google intentionally built addictive social media platforms that harmed a young woman’s mental health, in what campaigners are calling a “big tobacco moment” for tech firms. Now, the question many UK parents are asking is simple, will this change the rules for our children?
Here’s what we know so far, and what it could mean for families here.
What happened in the US case?
The case centred on a 20-year-old woman, known as Kaley, who sued Meta, which owns Instagram and Facebook, and Google, which owns YouTube, over her childhood use of their platforms.
Jurors found that the companies intentionally built addictive social media platforms that harmed her mental health. Kaley was awarded $6m, around £4.5m, in damages.
During the trial, Kaley said she began using Instagram aged nine and YouTube aged six.
"I stopped engaging with family because I was spending all my time on social media," she told the court.
She described developing anxiety and depression at 10 years old and later being diagnosed with body dysmorphia.
Her lawyers argued that platforms were built as “addiction machines” and highlighted features such as infinite scroll. Jurors concluded Meta and Google had "acted with malice, oppression, or fraud" in the way they operated their platforms.
Meta said: "Teen mental health is profoundly complex and cannot be linked to a single app.
"We will continue to defend ourselves vigorously as every case is different, and we remain confident in our record of protecting teens online."
A spokesperson for Google said: "This case misunderstands YouTube, which is a responsibly built streaming platform, not a social media site."
Both companies have said they intend to appeal.
Why does this matter for UK families?
Social media use among children in the UK is already widespread, and concern about its impact has been building for years.
The UK government is currently running a consultation on whether to introduce stricter rules, including the possibility of banning social media for under-16s and tackling so-called “addictive design features”.
Within hours of the US verdict, the government said its consultation was looking at banning social media for under 16s as well as how it might tackle "addictive design features."
It added: "When it comes to children's safety, nothing is off the table and we will set out our plans in the summer."
The consultation closes at the end of May, with a government response expected before the end of July.
What has the Prime Minister said?
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer suggested the US ruling reflected a wider shift in public mood.
"I think it does, and obviously we'll study that ruling very carefully, but I'm absolutely clear that we need to go further," he said.
He added: "I want to be really clear, it's not if things are going to change, things are going to change. The question is, how much and what are we going to do?"
Previously, he wrote that social media "has become something that is quietly harming our children" and said he wants to "crack down on the addictive elements… the never ending scrolling, that keeps are children hooked on their screens for hours, and stop kids getting around age limits."
Is a ban for under-16s likely?
The idea of a minimum age for social media access is now firmly on the table.
The House of Lords has twice backed proposals that would require ministers to decide within a year which social media platforms should be unavailable to under-16s. However, MPs have so far rejected the change, leading to a stand-off in Parliament.
Shadow education secretary Laura Trott said: "Peers have once again done the right thing and backed a ban on social media for under 16s by a huge margin. It is disappointing that Labour were the only party not to support it. Labour have once again chosen delay over action, with yet another consultation.
"This falls well short of the scale of the problem and leaves the door open to weak and ineffective measures."
Other countries, including Australia, have already introduced restrictions aimed at limiting children’s use of social media.
What could change for your child?
For now, nothing changes immediately for UK families.
But depending on the outcome of the consultation, we could see:
- A legal minimum age for certain social media platforms
- Stronger age verification measures
- Restrictions on features such as infinite scroll
- Tighter rules on how platforms design content for children
The Prime Minister has made clear that the status quo is "not good enough". The coming months will determine whether that translates into a full ban for under-16s or a broader crackdown on how social media is built and policed.
For parents, the debate is no longer hypothetical. With courts, campaigners and governments all weighing in, the pressure on tech companies is intensifying. And this summer could prove pivotal in shaping what the online world looks like for our children.
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Authors
Ruairidh is the Digital Lead on MadeForMums. He works with a team of fantastically talented content creators and subject-matter experts on MadeForMums.