How Andy Burnham can take back control from big tech, with Baroness Beeban Kidron OBE
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The world's biggest tech companies now shape what we see, think and do online every day - raising big questions about who really holds the balance of power between them and national governments.
The previous government proposed banning social media for under-16s, a policy Andy Burnham has also backed. But is that enough? As Burnham sets out his agenda, what should he prioritise in his first 100 days to protect children online, strengthen the UK's digital independence and make powerful tech companies more accountable?
In this special deep-dive from the Policy Fix, Nesta's policy podcast, Nesta CEO Ravi Gurumurthy sits down with some of the country’s leading experts on policy and government. Rather than just rehearsing the problems facing Burnham, they stress-test the big ideas that should shape his agenda, discuss the policy solutions he should actually pursue and map out the steps he should take to get started in his first 100 days.
In this episode, Ravi is joined by filmmaker, politician and leading voice on children’s rights in the digital environment, Baroness Beeban Kidron OBE, to unpack the steps Andy Burnham should take to decisively reclaim public control from Silicon Valley.
Taking a wider view than proposed responses like social media bans or regulating AI, Beeban argues the real challenge is the growing power of a handful of tech companies. She explains why governments should hold platforms responsible for harmful and addictive products, not just the content they host.
The conversation also explores the risks of powerful AI, why the UK should make better use of trusted public data from organisations like the NHS and the BBC and how Britain can build digital technology that serves the public interest instead of corporate profit.
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