UK Government Spends More Time Meeting With Big Tech Than Child Safety Groups
A recent investigation by The Guardian has revealed that UK ministers are meeting with big tech companies at a staggering rate, far exceeding that of groups advocating for child safety and copyright protections. In fact, the industry lobbying group Tech UK meets with ministers more than once every eight working days.
The data shows that Google had the most ministerial meetings, over 100 times, while Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, and Elon Musk's X (the company behind the AI image generator that sparked controversy) also held numerous meetings. In contrast, child safety groups like NSPCC and Molly Rose Foundation, which have been vocal about their concerns regarding online safety and AI regulation, received fewer than 25 ministerial meetings combined.
"This is a shocking pattern of access and reveals an incredible power imbalance when it comes to protecting children online," said Andy Burrows, chief executive of the Molly Rose Foundation. "It's astounding that tech companies are given so much space to influence policy while those campaigning for safer online environments are barely audible."
Campaigners argue that the government's frequent meetings with big tech companies amounts to a form of 'capture', where the industry's interests take precedence over those of citizens. The figures also underscore the notion that the UK government is "bending the knee" to US-based tech giants, which critics say prioritize profits over public interest.
The controversy surrounding X's Grok AI tool has sparked renewed debate about online safety and AI regulation in the UK. A growing number of people are calling for stricter regulations to protect children from online harm, a sentiment echoed by Dame Chi Onwurah, chair of the science and technology select committee.
"The technology sector has turnovers larger than many countries, and their influence stands in stark contrast to that of their users," she said. "It is crucial for big tech to be held accountable to parliament, something that has been underlined further by recent news about 'nudification' tools."
Records show that there were over 11,000 meetings between government ministers and tech companies during the past two years, while child safety groups and creators' rights advocates received fewer than 150 combined meetings. The disparity in access raises questions about the government's priorities when it comes to protecting citizens online.
In response, a Department for Science, Innovation and Technology spokesperson argued that regular engagement with tech companies is essential to ensure safe deployment of their technology in the UK. However, critics argue that this privileged access only serves to further entrench the interests of big tech at the expense of public concern.
A recent investigation by The Guardian has revealed that UK ministers are meeting with big tech companies at a staggering rate, far exceeding that of groups advocating for child safety and copyright protections. In fact, the industry lobbying group Tech UK meets with ministers more than once every eight working days.
The data shows that Google had the most ministerial meetings, over 100 times, while Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, and Elon Musk's X (the company behind the AI image generator that sparked controversy) also held numerous meetings. In contrast, child safety groups like NSPCC and Molly Rose Foundation, which have been vocal about their concerns regarding online safety and AI regulation, received fewer than 25 ministerial meetings combined.
"This is a shocking pattern of access and reveals an incredible power imbalance when it comes to protecting children online," said Andy Burrows, chief executive of the Molly Rose Foundation. "It's astounding that tech companies are given so much space to influence policy while those campaigning for safer online environments are barely audible."
Campaigners argue that the government's frequent meetings with big tech companies amounts to a form of 'capture', where the industry's interests take precedence over those of citizens. The figures also underscore the notion that the UK government is "bending the knee" to US-based tech giants, which critics say prioritize profits over public interest.
The controversy surrounding X's Grok AI tool has sparked renewed debate about online safety and AI regulation in the UK. A growing number of people are calling for stricter regulations to protect children from online harm, a sentiment echoed by Dame Chi Onwurah, chair of the science and technology select committee.
"The technology sector has turnovers larger than many countries, and their influence stands in stark contrast to that of their users," she said. "It is crucial for big tech to be held accountable to parliament, something that has been underlined further by recent news about 'nudification' tools."
Records show that there were over 11,000 meetings between government ministers and tech companies during the past two years, while child safety groups and creators' rights advocates received fewer than 150 combined meetings. The disparity in access raises questions about the government's priorities when it comes to protecting citizens online.
In response, a Department for Science, Innovation and Technology spokesperson argued that regular engagement with tech companies is essential to ensure safe deployment of their technology in the UK. However, critics argue that this privileged access only serves to further entrench the interests of big tech at the expense of public concern.
- like what even is the point of having a kid's voice if its not being heard? these companies are basically self-regulating themselves and getting away with everything 
100+ meetings with google alone? that's insane, while groups advocating for actual change only get a few meetings combined 
... what's the real value of a ministerial meeting? Is it just a bunch of suits shaking hands and exchanging favors, or is it actually about making a positive impact on people's lives? 
In this case, it seems like the UK government is more interested in appeasing big tech companies than protecting the most vulnerable members of society - our kids 
And what about accountability? It seems like these tech giants are being given free rein to do whatever they want, with minimal oversight or consequences 
100+ meetings with Google alone? That's just weird. Meanwhile, groups that are trying to protect our kids from AI regulation are barely even getting a meeting slot. It feels like the government is more interested in being BFFs with these tech giants than actually looking out for us. 
. I mean, we've seen some crazy issues with AI-generated content and online predators already 
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. We need more transparency and accountability in how tech companies are interacting with the government 
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it's like they're more worried about making friends with google and amazon than keeping kids safe online 
like what even is the point of having a government if they can't regulate tech properly? 
. I mean, 100+ meetings with Google alone? That's just crazy talk 
! And what really gets me is that these big companies have way more influence over policy than the people who actually care about online safety 
. It feels like they're just letting them walk all over everyone else 
. We need to hold these tech giants accountable and make sure they're not just looking out for themselves 
... that's just wrong 
. The government needs to step up and prioritize the people over profits 
? I mean, come on, can't we trust these big tech giants to do the right thing for once? 
. And don't even get me started on Elon's X – that guy's AI is like something out of a sci-fi movie 
It's all about "nudification" tools and who gets to decide what's best for us – big tech or regular humans 
. We need more transparency and oversight, and we need it now 
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. It's like they're trying to silence us, you know? The government's supposed to be looking out for everyone's best interests, but it seems like they're more worried about keeping the big guys happy 
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It's so unfair that these child safety groups are getting barely any attention from the government when it comes to their concerns. We need stricter regulations and more accountability on big tech, stat! 