Sir Keir Starmer is preparing to announce a crackdown on children's access to social media within days, as the prime minister faces mounting pressure over the role of online platforms in stoking violence — just hours after Elon Musk and Tommy Robinson were accused of inflaming riots that left cars and homes burning in Belfast.
A speech planned for next week will include the new policy, which ministers have been examining in recent weeks. Options under consideration include a blanket ban on under-16s accessing social media, as introduced in Australia, and possible exemptions for elements deemed less harmful. Starmer, previously resistant to restrictions, vowed last month to take "decisive" measures he promised would be a "game-changer", after a public consultation launched in March closed. The shift came under pressure from the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats, and dozens of Labour MPs.
“Starmer will announce social media restrictions for children after Belfast riots fuelled by Musk and Robinson.”
The announcement follows violent protests in Belfast on Tuesday evening, where cars were set alight, houses burned, and people forced to flee. The unrest erupted a day after Stephen Ogilvie was attacked with a knife, allegedly by a 30-year-old Sudanese national. Social media amplified the story far beyond Northern Ireland, with Elon Musk stirring anger by resharing politically-charged posts. The tech billionaire posted on X: "Only by protesting repeatedly and loudly will there be any change!" and reposted a video saying, "You either fight back or you die." He also replied to Reform UK's Richard Tice, endorsing the rival Restore Britain party: "Only Restore Britain can save Britain. It is the only way."
Tommy Robinson — real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon — who organised dozens of protests around the UK after the attack, shared grim updates from Belfast. He posted a clip of a local store on fire, claiming: "Foreign businesses are being destroyed in Belfast." Earlier, he shared graphics instructing: "All businesses to close at 5.30pm tonight. No exceptions," and captioned them: "The whole of the United Kingdom is hitting the streets tonight at 7pm following yet another invader attack on our people." He also reshared a post urging protesters to leave phones at home, and claimed the burned homes were all HMOs.
Labour chairwoman Anna Turley accused online platforms of "playing a role in driving" the unrest and pointed to Musk as one of the "bad faith actors" inflaming tensions. Musk had shared lists on X of locations where protests could take place, also posted by Robinson, and retweeted Restore Britain leader Rupert Lowe.
Next week is already a critical one for Starmer, who will spend several days at the annual G7 summit in France, while the Makerfield by-election — in which Andy Burnham is Labour's candidate — takes place on Thursday. The prime minister also voiced support for a Holyrood probe into the Peter Murrell scandal, saying there are "serious, legitimate questions" that need answers.