Statement on the UK Government’s Growing up in the online world consultation

25 of the UK’s leading children’s organisations are calling on the Government to tackle the root causes of online harm, not just its most visible symptoms.

The Children’s Coalition for Online Safety, led by 5Rights Foundation, published this statement as the Government’s consultation on children’s digital wellbeing drew to a close. Tech companies must be held accountable – just as any business would be offline, they should have to prove their services are safe for children. That means tackling the business models and design choices driving harm, not leaving parents and children to manage the risk themselves.

The coalition is calling on the Government to take four actions:

1. Make online experiences suitable for different ages by mandating clear, child-friendly principles

2. Remove the commercial incentives for harmful digital design

3. Regulate AI systems rigorously

4. Strong leadership for online safety regulation

Read the full statement for more.