Sorcha Eastwood MP: « Do we allow the likes of Andrew Tate, Donald Trump, Elon Musk and others to profit from poisoning the minds of our young people, or do we stand up for our children, our country, our democracy? »
In a passionate debate in the House of Commons, MPs examined the growing threat that digital platforms pose to UK democracy.
Alliance MP Sorcha Eastwood, who has herself received death threats after she criticised Elon Musk online, and who initiated the discussion, warned that social media is fuelling radicalisation, spreading misinformation, and silencing voices through harassment and abuse.
She paid tribute to murder victims Jo Cox and Sir David Amess, noting that “we are failing a whole generation” by allowing young people to be exploited in “a national emergency of misinformation and digital violence.”
Highlighting recent events, Eastwood pointed to the murder of Brianna Ghey as a “horrifying real-world impact” of online radicalisation. She condemned social media algorithms for actively pushing young men towards extremist content, stating: “This is not a side effect; it is their business model.”
Labour MP Liam Conlon raised concerns over tech giants’ accountability, arguing that “our democratic safeguards should not rest on the presumption of goodwill or honesty from technology giants.” Eastwood agreed, declaring: “We should not outsource our children’s safety to social media companies.”
Lisa Smart MP called for stronger regulation, saying: “At the very least, the social media giants should have a duty to carry out a risk assessment of legal but harmful content.” Eastwood responded that this was “the bare minimum they should do.”
The debate also highlighted the chilling effect of online abuse on political participation. Florence Eshalomi (Vauxhall and Camberwell Green, noted that “if we do not deal with this issue, we will see fewer people putting themselves forward to stand for public office.” Eastwood agreed, warning that intimidation is being used to drive diverse voices out of politics.
Conservative MP Jerome Mayhew suggested banning mobile phones in schools up to age 16 as a first step, a proposal Eastwood acknowledged but stressed that “the issue is what is on the phones when they get them back.”
Eastwood closed the debate with a stark warning: “Do we allow the likes of Andrew Tate, Donald Trump, Elon Musk and others to profit from poisoning the minds of our young people, or do we stand up for our children, our country, our democracy?” She urged the government to act, asking: “If not now, when?”
The debate underscored the urgent need for stronger regulation and enforcement to combat online harm, safeguard democracy, and protect young people from digital exploitation.
