Google's UK boss has cautioned that banning social media for under-16s is not the 'right approach' and could push children towards 'more dangerous and unsupervised corners of the internet.' Kate Alessi, managing director of Google UK and Ireland, said the tech giant does not support 'blanket bans,' as the government consults on a potential ban for under-16s.
The debate has intensified after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer indicated readiness to tackle features designed to keep young people addicted. This follows a US court case where Meta and Google were ordered to pay $6m (£4.6m) for a woman's childhood social media addiction, with the court finding them liable for 'deliberately designing addictive products.' Ms Alessi said Google disagrees with the verdict and plans to appeal.
Ms Alessi argued that a ban would 'take choices away from parents and push kids out of supervised spaces.' She stressed the importance of 'appropriate guardrails,' noting YouTube's recent features to prevent addictive behaviours, such as timers for Shorts, and 'Bedtime' and 'Take a break' functions. 'We want to make sure our products are built to be as safe as possible,' she said.
Google also announced a community programme to boost AI skills across the UK, including pop-up hubs called 'Squeeze the Juice bars' in Leeds, Liverpool, Birmingham, and AI Growth Zones. The firm is launching a university tour and providing nearly £2m in funding for AI initiatives. Ms Alessi said the aim is to help Britons 'squeeze the juice' from AI tools to achieve their goals.
