Time for Action on Children’s Online Safety

The Government’s announcement to launch a three-month consultation risks signalling yet more delay when families are calling for action. We have seen too little urgency, and the longer we wait, the more children are put at risk.

At the same time, there is a growing swell of support for change. I continue to hear from many concerned parents, alongside charities and cross-party MPs who are all clear that stronger protection is urgently needed.

That is why, despite our difference in approach, the Liberal Democrats backed a cross-party amendment in the House of Lords that would ban social media for under-16s. This is not the time to play party politics as we all have a shared responsibility to act, and act urgently for children and young people.

But we are now calling on the Government to work us to go further than a consultation and bring forward concrete proposals.

Our plan for a film-style age rating for under-16s is targeted and future-proof: categorising platforms based on risk and harmfulness, while squashing emerging harms such as AI chatbots. This approach would continually hold tech giants to account and make their online spaces safer for all users.

But also, as a parent myself, I understand that not all time spent online is detrimental. Young people rely on digital spaces for educational resources and family chats, so our staggered ratings system would tackle the toxic algorithms without blocking access to important educational sites.

With a clear link between excessive social media use, addictive content, and worsening mental health, it is this vicious cycle that must be broken to save children from the very anxieties they are trying to escape.

I want to thank everyone again for taking the time to write to me about this important issue as the Liberal Democrats will keep engaging closely with charities, parents, children, schools, and experts to ensure the final legislation stands the test of time.

Together we can keep up the momentum and deliver the change that is necessary to keep children safe online.