New research commissioned by the UK Government reveals that half of British parents admit not speaking to their children about harmful online content, despite 90% of 11-year-olds now owning a smartphone. Parents have been calling out for support on how to navigate their children’s social media use, with a quarter stating they do not know what their child is seeing. This is concerning with the rise of harmful content such as body-shaming, rage bait and misogyny. 

As a result, the UK Government has launched a campaign for parents, You Won’t Know until You Ask, which contains practical advice on how to talk to children about harmful online content and to raise awareness of how harmful social media is. The guidance seeks to support parents in setting safety settings for social media and starting difficult conversations.

The campaign launches in parallel to a national conversation on children’s digital wellbeing, with ministers engaging directly with parents and children across the country to shape longer-term measures. 

The work also builds on progress already delivered under the Online Safety Act: 

• eight million people now access adult sites with age checks every day;
• visits to pornography sites have reduced by a third since rules came into force;
• and the proportion of children encountering age checks online has risen from 30% to 47%, and 58% of parents believe measures are already improving children’s safety.

Research – key findings

• There is a clear gap between the confidence many parents feel about understanding their child’s online activity and the reality of what young people are exposed to
• There is a need for clear, accessible guidance and a central hub where parents can get practical help
• There is a need to normalise frequent conversations about online content, rather than reacting only when problems arise
• Evidence shows that young people (particularly boys) may be exposed to harmful content through no deliberate action of their own – boys are particularly at risk of being algorithmically served misogynistic and harmful content, often without seeking it out.

Summary of guidance – Help your child stay safe online

The campaign’s emphasis on building critical thinking skills is designed to help parents talk openly about this kind of material before harmful attitudes take root.

The guidance covers:

• Questions to ask a child about toxic content to enhance children’s critical thinking and support open conversations
• Practical help with children using their first device
• How to support children develop healthy online habits as they become more independent
• How to support children to young adulthood
• Awareness of online issues such as bullying, gaming, online hate and privacy
• How and when to use parental controls

Comment

The launch of this campaign is a positive step towards seeking to create online safety for children, although there is still a long way to go against the backdrop of the ‘AI boom’. 

Other measures with a similar aims are in progress. New laws have been brought forward to criminalise the creation of non-consensual intimate images, including sexually explicit deepfakes. The government is also taking action to designate this offence as a priority, meaning platforms can be required to take proactive steps to prevent it from happening in the first place, not just react after the harm is done.  

Further measures announced by the government will ban ‘nudification’ tools, criminalising those who design and supply them - ensuring those who profit from technology-enabled abuse face serious consequences.

While the guidance does not impose direct new legal duties on most organisations, it raises the expected standard of safeguarding practice.

Practically, organisations will need to be more proactive, better informed, and more engaged with families and young people.

Legally, the guidance reinforces the position that online harm is foreseeable and must be addressed as part of core safeguarding obligations, particularly in light of the evolving Online Safety Act framework.

This being the case organisations working with children will need to:-

• Embed regular conversations with children and young people about online content into day‑to‑day practice;
• Ensure staff are trained to recognise and respond to emerging online harms (e.g. misogynistic or harmful algorithm-driven content);
• Support parents and carers with accessible advice and engagement, reflecting the identified gap in parental awareness.

Organisations will also need to review and strengthen:

• Safeguarding policies, to explicitly address online harms such as bullying, hate content and exposure to harmful material;
• Training programmes, so staff understand how digital risks present and evolve;
• Risk assessments, particularly where services involve digital access or social media engagement

The focus on early education, critical thinking and healthy online habits suggests organisations should also incorporate preventative education into their service delivery.

Organisations that fail to keep up with this constantly evolving landscape may face heightened scrutiny and potential liability, where risks are not adequately identified and managed.