President Donald Trump arrived at the G7 summit in France this week as the dominant figure in global diplomacy, with world leaders seeking answers about his administration’s newly announced framework agreement with Iran while major international issues increasingly revolved around decisions being made in Washington.
One leader who appeared eager for Trump’s attention was British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
But reports emerging from the summit suggested Starmer may have found himself on the outside looking in.
The British prime minister was forced to deny claims that he had been snubbed after he failed to secure a formal bilateral meeting with Trump during the summit, despite the American president holding high-profile discussions with other world leaders.
The awkwardness became even more noticeable after Starmer was caught on a hot microphone asking aides, “Are they having a meeting?” while Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky were meeting separately.
British media quickly seized on the moment. Starmer insisted there was no slight.
“We had very productive, very good conversations,” he told reporters, arguing that discussions with Trump throughout the summit had been constructive.
Still, the optics reinforced a growing reality facing European leaders: much of the world’s attention is focused on Washington, while Europe increasingly finds itself reacting to American decisions rather than shaping them.
That contrast became particularly striking as Starmer arrived at the summit fresh off one of the most controversial domestic policy announcements of his premiership.
Just hours before traveling to France, the British government unveiled a sweeping plan to ban social media access for anyone under the age of 16.
The proposal would prohibit minors from using platforms including TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, X, and YouTube.
Starmer framed the policy as a necessary step to protect children from harmful content and excessive screen time.
“Every parent can see it with their own eyes. Social media is making children unhappy,” Starmer said.
“I’ve heard first hand from families crying out for change and we will do right by them.”
Supporters describe the measure as one of the most aggressive child online safety initiatives ever proposed by a major Western democracy.
Critics see something very different.
While much of the public discussion has focused on protecting children, opponents argue the broader implications for adults have received far less attention.
The system would require robust age-verification mechanisms to determine who is permitted access to social media platforms.
That means many adults could be required to verify their age through methods such as:
• Passport verification
• Government-issued identification
• Credit card verification
• Facial recognition technology
• Digital identity systems
Critics argue the result could be the creation of one of the most expansive digital identification frameworks ever attached to internet use in a Western democracy.
The British government rejects those concerns, insisting the focus remains child safety rather than adult surveillance.
But civil liberties advocates, privacy groups, and technology companies have warned that age-verification systems inevitably require the collection and storage of sensitive personal information.
Questions about free speech have also emerged.
The United Kingdom has already faced criticism from free speech advocates over arrests and prosecutions tied to online communications, controversial social media posts, and offensive digital content.
Critics argue that combining stricter online speech enforcement with mandatory identity verification creates a troubling direction for internet freedom.
Technology companies have also voiced opposition.
Meta warned that blanket bans could push teenagers into less-regulated corners of the internet while limiting access to platforms that include parental controls and safety features.
YouTube similarly argued that removing younger users from mainstream platforms could expose them to greater risks elsewhere online.
Researchers studying similar policies have raised practical concerns as well.
Australia implemented comparable restrictions, but enforcement challenges quickly emerged as minors found ways to bypass age checks through VPNs, borrowed credentials, and alternative platforms.
Even supporters acknowledge the policy will not be foolproof.
Starmer himself admitted some teenagers will likely find ways around the restrictions.
“I do believe we can enforce it,” he said.
The debate comes at a difficult political moment for the British prime minister.
Starmer has faced mounting criticism from within his own Labour Party over his leadership, economic performance, and declining approval ratings.
