Children remain at risk online – we need to strengthen internet safety policy
3 min read
Our children’s lives are increasingly online – it is how they socialise, play and make sense of the world. But as they navigate the internet, we cannot forever be by their side, protecting them from the many risks that arise in this unfettered digital space.
These risks can include threats to their mental health, such as bullying and exposure to issues related to suicide and self-harm, as well as being targeted by criminal gangs who prey on children and extort them for sexual images or money.
In 2023, the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) discovered 275,652 webpages containing child sexual abuse — the highest number in its history. This underscores the urgent need for robust measures to safeguard children online, ensuring they can explore the digital world safely and without fear of harm.
It’s why I’m honoured to take on the role of Chair for the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Children's Online Safety, formerly the APPG on Online Safety on Social Media. The Group’s focus has now been adapted to address the broader challenges surrounding children’s online safety.
Last month, I chaired the inaugural meeting of the APPG, where we laid the groundwork for the group and the work that we will do. The APPG’s key objectives are twofold: first, to drive meaningful policy changes that enhances the safety of children and young people online; and second, to raise the political profile of the risks they face, while exploring effective measures to mitigate harm, such as moderation control and regulation.
By raising awareness of the risks and driving forward effective policy changes, we can make a real difference. Lines of enquiry will include the threat to children from pornography; the impact of digital spaces on children's mental health and inattention; safety challenges in online gaming; and how children are exposed to harmful ideologies and behaviours online.
The internet is a constantly evolving space that throws up new, previously inconceivable threats that need to be effectively tackled. It is vital that policymakers remain informed, and ready to respond with swift and appropriate measures.
Artificial intelligence (AI) poses one of the biggest dangers to children’s online safety in a generation and has far outpaced UK laws. It’s currently just too easy for criminals to use AI to generate and distribute sexually explicit content of children.
By raising awareness of the risks and driving forward effective policy changes, we can make a real difference.
New data from the IWF highlights the scale of the problem, with reports of AI-generated child sexual abuse imagery more than quadrupling in just one year. In 2024, the IWF confirmed 237 cases of such material, compared to 51 in 2023. According to their analysts, the imagery has now “passed the point of no return,” with some AI-generated content so realistic that it is indistinguishable from genuine photos and videos.
The IWF, which acts as the Secretariat for the APPG, is calling for further measures to prevent AI technology from being exploited to create child sexual abuse material. I will be looking to the government to update legislation in line with emerging harms and introduce safeguards.
Tackling the misuse of technology, and particularly the proliferation of child sexual abuse material, is vital to achieving the government's pledge to halve violence against women and girls.
The APPG will be following the implementation of the Online Safety Act closely, and we will be counting on the government to take swift action to address the gaps and strengthen online protections. Our children’s future depends on it.
Gregor Poynton is chair of the APPG on Children’s Online Safety
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