Regulating Big Tech unlocks its benefits, argues ex-filmmaker turned child advocate

Beeban Kidron, the film director who transitioned into a leading children's rights campaigner, is making a straightforward case in her new book "Users": that reining in the harms of technology is the key to actually enjoying what it offers. According to the Financial Times, Kidron delivers a simple but powerful message that cracking down on tech's harms will enable us all to enjoy its benefits.

"cracking down on tech’s harms will enable us all to enjoy its benefits"

ft.comUsers by Beeban Kidron — how to make Big Tech behave better

That argument reframes regulation not as a burden but as a necessary precondition for positive use. Kidron's perspective is shaped by her decades of work advocating for children's safety online, a cause she took up after a successful career in filmmaking. The FT notes that she now brings that creative background to bear on a very different kind of storytelling: persuading policymakers and the public that restraint can coexist with innovation.

Her shift from directing films like "Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason" to campaigning for tech accountability highlights a growing chorus of voices calling for reform. Kidron's message, as covered by the FT, cuts through the usual polarised debate by focusing on outcomes rather than ideology. The core insight is that by addressing harms first, society can then more fully embrace the benefits of digital life.