Google has come out against a blanket ban on social media for under-16s, warning that prohibition risks driving children away from supervised platforms and towards less safe corners of the internet.
Kate Alessi, Google UK's managing director and vice-president, made the intervention as the UK government consults on an outright ban, and days after a US court found Meta and Google liable in a case centring on a woman's childhood social media addiction, ordering $6 million (£4.6 million) in damages.
Alessi said Google does not accept the US verdict and intends to appeal, while arguing that the right response to concerns about young people online is tighter guardrails rather than prohibition.
"Blanket bans take choices away from parents and push kids out of supervised spaces," she said, adding that well-designed regulation, not outright restriction, was the appropriate path forward.
Google pointed to a series of recent changes to YouTube intended to reduce addictive usage patterns among younger viewers, including countdown timers for its Shorts short-form video format and customisable Bedtime and Take a Break prompts designed to encourage healthier viewing habits.
Alessi said the company would work with ministers as the UK develops its regulatory approach to children's online safety and product design, signalling a preference for a collaborative rather than adversarial relationship with government on the issue.
The comments come alongside a separate Google initiative aimed at boosting AI skills across the UK, backed by nearly £2 million in funding through the company's philanthropic arm Google.org.
The programme will open pop-up hubs in Leeds, Liverpool and Birmingham, as well as in government-designated AI Growth Zones in Oxfordshire, the North East, Wales and Lanarkshire, and will include a tour of university campuses.
Google.org funding will support projects run by Inco, Chance and the Good Things Foundation, with the aim of moving people beyond basic AI adoption towards more advanced and productive use of the tools.
"Unlocking real value means moving beyond basic adoption to squeeze the juice from these tools," Alessi said.
The dual announcements position Google as both a constructive partner in shaping children's online safety policy and a significant investor in the UK's wider AI skills agenda, as the company seeks to deepen its relationship with the government ahead of expected regulatory activity in both areas.
The recap
- Google UK opposes a blanket social media ban for under‑16s
- US court ordered $6m (£4.6m) damages against Meta and Google
- Google plans to appeal the verdict and will work with government