What is curious about this story is the American silence. While the UK and Australia act, the US remains paralyzed, and not for lack of evidence. Studies on the effects of social media on teenage mental health have been piling up for years. The problem lies elsewhere.
Trump and the movement he represents spent the last few years defending big tech under the banner of free speech. But you only need to look at who was in the front row at the inauguration, Musk, Zuckerberg, Bezos, to understand this was never about principles. It was always about alliances.
The paradox is hard to ignore. The same political camp that waves the flag of family and "traditional values" is the one most actively protecting the platforms that expose children to addiction-engineered algorithms, violent content, and contact with strangers. Not by oversight, by choice.
Starmer may have his domestic troubles, and this law will certainly face resistance. But at least he is asking the right question. On the other side of the Atlantic, that question never even gets asked.
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