Ofcom must do more to protect children from online harm – but parents should do their part too
Editorial: While more robust regulation would certainly be welcome in our new tech-oriented world, responsibility for keeping children safe ultimately lies with their guardians and teachers
It is now six months since the elephantine gestation of the Online Safety Act was completed and it became law. It is fair to say that the internet hasn’t changed much in that time.
Children are still being exposed to harmful and damaging material. WhatsApp groups are still full of juveniles who shouldn’t be on the platform in the first place, and whose activities are encrypted, beyond the reach of the law and capable of being used for the vilest of purposes. Paedophiles and fraudsters are, so far as can be judged, as active as ever. The X platform, formerly Twitter, carries more misinformation, conspiracy theories, racism and misogyny than ever.
Lives are still being blighted by being exploited online and through bullying; people, including children, are still dying by suicide; and the transformation of youth from healthy family-oriented outdoor adventure to indoor, solitary, sedentary game-playing continues.
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