Tomorrow should be a watershed moment for children and families as the Online Safety Act comes into effect. But regrettably, it feels as if we are going backwards. The regulator Ofcom has decided to deploy timidity where ambition is needed. Rather than focusing on reducing harm and preventing tragedies, its approach seems aimed at minimising the economic costs for tech firms cleaning up the harm they have caused. Instead of prioritising the fundamental principles of child safety, one minister indicated that the codes coming into force were consulted on to make them “judicial review proof”. Legal caution trumps children’s safety.
And he's outraged because he has skin in the game, his daughter having killed herself. Purely down to social media? No. Obviously not, but he's not going to look inwards when there's a third party to blame.
Teenagers are no longer at risk only from being exposed to suicide ideation and self-harm content by aggressive algorithms, a preventable harm that cost my daughter Molly her life.
Global law enforcement agencies are clear that some young people, often struggling with their mental health, are being groomed to commit violent acts against themselves and others on video or live streams. These groups are driven by the same “fluid ideologies” and violent motives that have been thrust into the spotlight by Axel Rudakubana and the horrific events in Southport.
Yes, he's seemlessly switched from 'social media will tell your kids to kill themselves!' to 'social media will tell your kids to kill other kids!'.
I want to be clear that the secretary of state’s inaction and inertia will cost more young lives. His proposals are the sticking-plaster politics that the prime minister has rightly said he rejects. Bereaved parents are now losing trust in Kyle. We very much believe the public is on our side – 85% of parents want stronger laws. Parents want the government to act decisively on the side of children and families.
Why don't parents act decisively themselves? Why do they need the government to do it? If you think social media is a risk, don't buy your children a smartphone.
Of course, there are those who refute this, putting the free expression of platforms over reasonable and necessary measures to protect children from harm. Among them is a hawkish White House, which has issued an executive order that instructs officials to “recommend appropriate actions to counter” the Online Safety Act.
UK parents are watching, too. They do not want their children’s safety jeopardised by an exported agenda written by tech libertarians and JD Vance. They expect to be heard by their own government.
The answer's in your own hands. You're the grown ups here. Stop looking to Big Nanny Government to blame.
