Internet safety campaign accused of censoring speeches by teenagers

An internet safety campaign backed by US tech companies has been accused of censoring two teenagers they invited to speak about the biggest issues facing children online.

- Robert Booth UK technology editor

Childnet, funded in part by Meta, has denied making edits to speeches by teenagers to keep its US tech backers happy

(DANIEL DE LA HOZ GETTY IMAGES)

Childnet, a UK charity part-funded by companies including Snap, Roblox and Meta, edited out warnings from Lewis Swire and Saamya Ghai that social media addiction was an "imminent threat to our future" and obsessive scrolling was making people "sick", according to a record of edits seen by the Guardian.

Swire, then 17, from Edinburgh, and Ghai, then 14, from Buckinghamshire, had been asked to speak at an event to mark Safer Internet Day in 2024 in London in front of representatives from government, charities and tech companies.