The United Kingdom is reportedly mulling proposals to prioritise access to social media platforms to trusted news sites, part of an overarching push to tighten the regulation of the social media industry.

The culture secretary stated on Monday that it was looking at implementing new regulations that would require platforms like Meta’s Facebook, Alphabet-owned YouTube and TikTok to account for the content of public service media (PSM) companies, including the BBC, ITV, and Channel 4, and other trusted news providers, more easily available in users’ feeds and searches News.Az reports, citing Reuters.

The shift follows a week ago when the government declared that people under 16 years of age will not be allowed to use most of the social media platforms.

Ofcom figures reveal social media is now a primary source for half of UK adults and more than three-quarters of younger people (16 to 24). A separate study by Ofcom carried out in 2024 revealed that 4/10 UK adults had been exposed to misinformation in a single month – and the majority of that came via online platforms.

Culture minister Lisa Nandy said in a statement it was crucial that people had greater access to trusted and accurate news sources and that our regulated public service media was “seen and heard” in the “ferocious fight against mis- and disinformation.”