Child Safety Campaign Accused of Censoring Teens’ Speeches on Social Media Harms
A UK charity that fights for kids’ online safety got caught editing teens’ speeches to hide harsh truths about social media. Childnet, partly paid by big US tech companies like Snap, Roblox, and Meta, cut strong warnings from two young speakers at its 2024 Safer Internet Day event in London.
The teens called social media an addiction that makes kids sick and lonely. The Guardian saw the edit records. This Tuesday’s 2026 event has over 2,800 schools signed up. The cut parts were blunt. One line said social media is “one of the worst psychological addictions in history” and kids are “begging for a rope to pull them from the quicksand.”
Another teen said social media apps work like gambling—they use tricks to keep people hooked. Those lines were removed. The edits also cut out stories about kids being stuck on TikTok and Snapchat, which points out that they couldn’t stop using them because of things like money needs, constant news, or “streaks” that pressure them to stay active.
One teen shared how a friend wasted 40 hours a week on apps but couldn’t delete them. Warnings about scrolling making people sick, loneliness epidemics, and wasting years on TikTok or Netflix binges also vanished.Lewis Swire, then 17 from Edinburgh, and Saamya Ghai, then 14 from Buckinghamshire, felt betrayed. They were invited to speak to government, charities, and tech bosses about real online dangers. Swire, on Childnet’s youth board, was shocked by the funding conflict. He hand-wrote back a key line right before speaking. Ghai called it hypocritical—the charity asked them to speak out but softened their words too much. Now 19 and 16, they’re pushing for under-16 social media bans.
UNDER 16s SOCIAL MEDIA "BAN": "Is absolutely mad"
"Only 7 months ago we had the enactment of the Online Safety Act, which we were told would be the last word on censorious clampdowns on social media!"
Let's not walk right into another Digital ID trap pic.twitter.com/oizIXohgxK
— Together (@Togetherdec) February 7, 2026
Childnet’s head, Will Gardner, said the speeches were not edited to keep funders happy. He explained that the changes were made because of time limits and to soften the tone, not because of money. He added that some strong points were still included, such as screen time causing depression and anxiety, and calls for apps to remove features like constant notifications and autoplay. Gardner said that taking money from tech companies does not stop Childnet from speaking out.
Public reactions on (X) Twitter to this news show strong approval mixed with political criticism.
One user praised Claire for her continued efforts, describing her as a rare and sensible voice, which reflects trust in her views and appreciation for her stance on the issue.
Well said, Claire – thank you for all your efforts – as always, a rare voice of sense – you are much appreciated
— Michael Daly (@iDuckman) February 7, 2026
Another user emphasized that raising children should be the responsibility of parents, not the state, showing concern about government overreach into family life.
💯
Not only that but the state should not be parents to our children. That is what parents are there to do.— Conway (@Conway_NE) February 7, 2026
A third tweet directly blamed Conservative Party (the Tories), accusing them of once again promoting such policies.
And it’s the Tories who are pushing this again!
— Robert Ede (@silentrob73) February 7, 2026
Experts slammed it as a Big Tech conflict. Daisy Greenwell from Smartphone Free Childhood said kids shouldn’t water down views to save companies’ feelings—it’s fake “youth voice.” Harry Amies of Unplug.Scot said parents will be stunned Safer Internet Day runs on Snapchat cash. He called the proof “speechless”-worthy.
