A petition opposing the early release of two convicted killers of PC Andrew Harper has surpassed one million signatures, signaling significant public opposition to their potential freedom. Albert Bowers and Jessie Cole, who were sentenced to 13 years for manslaughter, are currently eligible for release after serving half their sentence under the Labour government’s Early Release Scheme. Reports indicate that police officials have been informed of Labour’s intention to amend the legislation to keep the pair incarcerated for the full term. Justice Secretary Alex Norris has been urged to ensure that the offenders serve their entire sentences.

In a separate but thematically related development, social media companies are facing increasing scrutiny over the impact of their platforms on youth mental health. Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has agreed to pay up to £13 billion to settle allegations brought by 29 U.S. states. These states claim Meta’s platforms have caused harm to children by encouraging excessive and addictive use of their services while neglecting the consequent physical and psychological damage. Meta, while denying wrongdoing, committed to implementing new safety measures, including daily usage limits, nighttime restrictions for minors, and enhanced protections against exposure to harmful content. The company has also urged competitors TikTok and YouTube to adopt similar safeguards.

This legal settlement represents what some experts are calling the "big tobacco moment" for social media, drawing parallels to the decades-long battle with tobacco companies over health risks. The comparison highlights the evolving awareness of social media as a pervasive, addictive, and potentially damaging influence analogous to tobacco products in earlier generations. In 1998, U.S. tobacco firms paid billions following extensive litigation for the health consequences of smoking, despite decades of denial and misinformation from the industry. Today, policymakers and advocates are raising concerns about the long-term mental health effects on younger generations exposed to social media from an early age.

Australia has taken a notably strict approach by implementing a ban on social media use for children under 16, which came into force in December 2025. Penalties of up to £26 million are prescribed for companies that fail to block underage users. However, reports suggest that usage among Australian minors continues to rise despite the ban, echoing historical challenges in changing addictive behaviors.

The ongoing mental health crisis among young people has also been linked to content on social media platforms that glorify risky behaviors such as “joyriding,” a term critics say misleadingly downplays the dangers involved. Investigations into such content prompted TikTok to remove videos promoting dangerous driving, although critics argue that responsibility should not fall to media outlets to police platforms profiting from harmful material.

Experts warn that addressing the influence of social media on youth will be a complex and prolonged challenge. Many call for continued legal and regulatory pressure on tech firms to prioritize user safety over profits, drawing on lessons learned from public health campaigns against tobacco use. Advocates emphasize that meaningful reform is necessary to prevent further harm and to hold technology companies accountable for the societal effects of their platforms.