I welcome the publication of Ofcom’s draft Children’s Code, and, as a statutory consultee, I will be considering whether its proposed measures meet what children and Parliament have said needs to change. It is my hope that its implementation alongside other protections in the Online Safety Act will mark a significant step forward in the ongoing effort to safeguard children online, which I have long called for. Children themselves have consistently told me they want and need better protections to keep them safe online, most recently in their responses to The Big Ambition, which engaged with 367,000 children.
There is always more work to be done to ensure that every child is safe online. Protections in the Online Safety Act must be implemented swiftly, with effective age assurances, default safety settings and content moderation to prevent children from accessing platforms underage and keeping them safe online as they explore, learn and play. I will continue to work with Ofcom, policy makers, government, schools and parents to ensure that children are kept safe online.
