Labour is making the online world safer for children
The digital world offers huge opportunities for learning, creativity and connection, but it also exposes young people to risks that simply didn’t exist when many of us were growing up.
As the government has been preparing to consult on children’s digital wellbeing, in recent weeks I’ve had some great conversations in schools. Just like us adults, Blackpool’s young people are concerned about online dangers. Technology has moved at lightning speed while the law has struggled to keep up. Platforms have grown more powerful, algorithms more sophisticated and features more addictive, with little regard for the wellbeing of the children using them. Parents have been left to navigate a complex and sometimes dangerous digital landscape.
This government is determined to step in to keep our children safe. It’s a collective responsibility we can’t ignore. New measures announced this week mark an important shift towards that, with the government taking the powers it needs now to act quickly on the results of its consultation. That means real protections can be introduced quickly.
This is not about stifling innovation or demonising technology. It is about common-sense safeguards that most parents would recognise instantly.
The consultation will look at options such as banning social media for under-16s, raising the digital age of consent, introducing overnight curfews to prevent excessive use and strengthening enforcement of age verification rules. It will also consider restrictions on features that are clearly unsuitable for children.
These are practical steps to bring the online world closer to the standards we already expect offline. We would never allow a child to walk into a nightclub, gamble in a betting shop, or be approached by unknown adults without supervision. Yet in the digital space, similar risks can be just a click away.
The government is also addressing the fast-moving challenge of artificial intelligence, highlighted recently by the awful Grok AI scandal. AI chatbots are becoming more common in children’s lives, whether through apps, games, or online platforms and while these tools can be helpful, they must not become a backdoor through which illegal or harmful content reaches young people. Closing loopholes so that all chatbot providers are subject to the same illegal-content duties is a sensible and necessary step and I’m pleased the government is taking it now.
Another important change will support families facing the worst imaginable tragedy. By ensuring coroners automatically notify Ofcom after a child’s death where online activity may be relevant vital data can be preserved before it disappears. This is a direct response to the calls of bereaved families who have fought for answers and accountability.
But legislation alone will not solve every problem. Parents also need practical support now. That means clearer guidance, better safety tools and open conversations with their children about the risks and responsibilities of being online.
It also means listening to young people themselves. They understand both the benefits and the dangers of the digital world, often better than the adults around them. Their voices should be at the heart of the consultation and the decisions that follow.
Childhood should not be shaped by addictive algorithms, anonymous abuse, or relentless pressure to be online every waking moment. Technology needs to work for children, not the other way around.
These new powers and proposals are a step towards tipping the scales back in the right direction. They signal that the days of platforms holding the power are coming to an end and that protecting children’s wellbeing is not optional.
Parents have been asking for action. Now we are delivering it quickly, decisively and with the best interests of children at the centre of every decision we make.
