Executives from Meta, Roblox and TikTok have told MPs that their platforms are not designed to be addictive during a cross-party committee hearing at Westminster.
Social media executives have denied that their platforms are addictive.
UK representatives from Meta, Roblox and TikTok were subjected to robust questioning by MPs from the cross-party education select committee about the impact of screen time and social media on children at Westminster on Tuesday (21.04.26).
A Snapchat executive had been due to attend the hearing but cancelled “at quite short notice”, earning a rebuke from committee chair Helen Hayes – who warned the company that a representative must appear at a meeting next week.
A spokesperson for the platform later said: “Due to unforeseen circumstances we were unable to attend today’s meeting. As we’ve been discussing directly with parliamentary authorities, we are fully committed and engaged in this process and look forward to a productive discussion next week.”
The executives in attendance insisted that their platforms had not been designed to be addictive and argued that there was no evidence that they are “addictive by nature”.
They also informed MPs that a social media ban for under-16s – akin to the one currenty in place in Australia – would be unenforceable in Britain.
Rebecca Stimson, Meta UK’s director of public policy, said: “We don’t think it’s something that’s actually possible in practice.”
The Meta chief says that the company’s sites – which include Facebook and Instagram – aren’t meant to be addictive but acknowledged that the platforms can be “misused”.
She said: “We don’t design Instagram or Facebook to be addictive (but) we do recognise there can be risks of people misusing the platform and poor behaviours.”
Liberal Democrat MP Caroline Voaden, who serves on the committee, was unimpressed with arguments made by the social media bosses.
She said after the hearing: “It is absolutely galling for social media giants to say their platforms are not addictive.
“Parents, experts, whistleblowers, even users, are all aware of the dangers posed by social media. The platforms are the only ones still in denial, spouting claims which have zero credibility.
“Today’s session reaffirmed that we cannot wait for platforms to do the right thing. The government must step in and adopt the Liberal Democrat proposal to introduce a film-style age rating for social media, which protects children from harm while letting them experience the best bits of the online world.”
Social media bosses deny platforms are ‘addictive by nature’
