UK MPs have accused social media bosses of complacency over misinformation, safety and deepfakes, warning that failures could force the government to introduce tough new laws. Representatives from TikTok, X, Meta and Google were told their failures may force the government to bring in tough new laws if they do not improve. According to reports, MPs have accused social media bosses of being complacent over these issues.
Specific examples of harmful content on platforms were highlighted during the session. MP Freddie van Mierlo found numerous examples of instruction videos on TikTok showing how to create nudified images of young girls. Another MP blasted social networks for failing to take down a deepfake video suggesting he had defected to Reform UK. Additionally, an AI chatbot was used to give advice about how to stalk a user's ex-girlfriend.
Social media addiction concerns were raised, with platforms denying addictiveness despite US legal rulings and settlements. Bosses at TikTok, Facebook and Instagram have denied their social media platforms are addictive. A landmark US trial last month ruled Meta intentionally built addictive social media platforms. TikTok reached an undisclosed settlement ahead of the US trial on addictive platforms.
Child safety issues were a major focus, including inadequate age verification and grooming of young children on TikTok. Age verification technology is not accurate enough on social media platforms. Children must be aged 13 or over to create accounts on TikTok and Meta. Research shows children as young as five are being groomed into live-streaming harmful content on TikTok.
A Home Affairs Committee report warns the UK is ill-prepared for online extremism fueled by toxic misogyny, anti-Semitism, and conspiracy theories. According to the report, the UK is 'ill-prepared' to deal with a new wave of online extremists radicalised by 'toxic' misogynists spouting anti-Semitism and conspiracy theories. Youngsters are 'often radicalised through a toxic mix of anti-Semitism, misogyny and conspiracy theories' which have 'profound implications for national security, public order, and social cohesion'.
The report criticizes the Prevent counter-terrorism scheme as outdated and inadequate for digital extremism, with statistics on referrals. According to the report, the system for flushing out wannabe terrorists, Prevent, is 'outdated and inadequately prepared to deal with modern extremism challenges in the digital world'. Just over one-third (36%) of the nearly 9,000 referrals to the Government's counter-terrorism Prevent scheme in the year to March 2025 were aged between 11 and 15. The vast majority of referrals (nearly 5,000) were listed as having no specific ideology, while another 1,798 were concerned with extreme right-wing ideology.
The role of social media algorithms and influencers in spreading extremist content and driving users to unmoderated platforms was highlighted. According to the Home Affairs Committee report, social media algorithms and influencer content are actively contributing to the rise of new belief systems and 'nihilistic violent extremism'. Smaller digital platforms 'are not receiving sufficient regulatory scrutiny'. This messaging risks directing individuals online 'towards smaller, private, unmoderated and encrypted platforms or messaging apps where extremist attitudes and more explicit content can be shared and reinforced with greater freedom'.