Child-safety campaigners have urged Prime Minister Andy Burnham to impose tougher controls on social media companies after Meta agreed a major settlement with 29 US states over allegations that Facebook and Instagram harmed young people’s wellbeing. They argue the case shows governments can force platforms to alter features designed to maximise engagement, and want equivalent protections introduced in the UK rather than limiting reforms to American users.

Meta will pay up to $17bn (£12.5bn) and introduce US-only measures including daily limits, night-time blocks and hiding visible likes and reactions for teenagers, while not admitting wrongdoing. The Molly Rose Foundation said the settlement ended scrutiny of what Meta knew about harm to vulnerable users, and called for action against addictive design and profit-led business models; the UK government said its Online Safety Act and a planned under-16 social-media ban would address online harms.