John,

Netflix’s Adolescence show has sparked a wave of anger over the devastating impact social media platforms can have on kids.

Hundreds of vulnerable teens, like the show’s star, Jamie, are being pushed down extremist rabbit holes online, thanks to powerful algorithms that promote posts based on a user’s profile. YouTube and TikTok promote toxic “manosphere” influencers to millions of young people - and they make massive profits doing so.

But there’s a growing movement of parents and kids who are fighting to reclaim childhood from Big Tech, and it’s just been given a massive boost by the show that everyone is talking about. If we all join in, we can use this moment to ramp up the pressure and demand the UK and other governments turn off profile-based recommender systems.

Tell the UK and other governments: Turn off toxic algorithms and protect kids online.

YouTube and TikTok say they’ve introduced parental controls to block harmful content. But these controls are confusing and kids can easily override them. The real solutions, like turning off powerful recommender systems, would cut into Big Tech’s profits and they resist them at every turn. This is why governments must act—which is where we come in.

The fact is these platforms are flooded with incel-related and misogynistic posts. Ekō researchers posing as a 13-year-old joining TikTok for the first time, exposed how the platform targeted them with content promoting suicide and violence within 10 minutes of logging on.

Big Tech has shown time and again that it’s unable to self-regulate, which is why governments must step in. We know that public pressure works - when this incredible community came together to oppose Meta’s terrible idea of ‘Instagram for Kids’, Meta shelved it. Now let’s do it again.

Tell the UK and other governments: Turn off toxic algorithms and protect kids online.