Three quarters of Brits back tougher online safety laws

The damning polling of over 2,000 adults suggests almost two-thirds of Brits believe the government has performed ‘not very well’ in tackling harms on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, X and TikTok, despite the implementation of landmark legislation last year.

Ofcom, which is responsible for holding online platforms to account, also fared badly in the research, with six in ten expressing dissatisfaction with its performance.

It comes as LBC can reveal that a mere £55,000 has been recouped since new fining powers were conferred on the regulator in July - despite over £3m in penalties being issued.

Dame Melanie Dawes, Ofcom’s chief executive, told LBC's Nick Ferrari that the failure to collect the outstanding balance was not the sole determinant of the regulator’s success, and that the threat of sanctions was acting as an effective deterrent against harmful content online.

In July last year, Ofcom’s Children’s Codes took effect, meaning social media giants like TikTok, Instagram and X have a legal responsibility to prevent children from accessing harmful content on their platforms.

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Companies which fail in their duties face fines of up to £18m or 10% of their global turnover under the Online Safety Act.

But six months on from the new powers coming in effect, many parents feel that there has been little progress.

The data, shared with LBC by the Molly Rose Foundation, a charity set up after 14-year-old Molly Russell died from an act of self-harm after viewing over 2,000 pieces of harmful content online, suggests strong cross-party support for greater protection for children online.

Around 93% of Labour voters and 92% of Reform UK supporters expressed concerns about online safety.

The poll, conducted by Savanta, includes responses from over 800 parents with a child under the age of 18.

Just over a third (35%) of those surveyed said they had noticed some improvement in the online climate since the new powers came into effect.

The government recently launched a consultation into new measures designed to reduce the amount of harmful content consumed by children.

Parents, guardians, and young people across the UK are being encouraged to share their thoughts on measures such a ban or overnight curfew on under-16s using social media, improving safety on gaming platforms and tackling inappropriate content generated by AI chatbots.

The Molly Rose Foundation has cautioned against the introduction of an under-16s social media ban, which has already commenced in Australia.

Molly’s father, Ian Russell, believes the measure could result in "unintended consequences”, such as pushing children into even more dangerous corners of the internet.

Instead, he has called for the uncompromising application of existing laws in tandem with targeted additional powers.

The poll indicates strong support for the policies the charity is pushing for.

More than three-quarters of UK adults (76%) would support the introduction of a harm reduction duty on Ofcom.

A similar proportion (75%) said a legal duty should be placed on social media sites to design and run their services with children’s wellbeing in mind.

A spokesperson for the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology told LBC: “We value the important work of the Molly Rose Foundation and we know that parents are deeply worried about the effects of social media and technology on their children - we're determined to get our next steps right.

"That's why our swift consultation launched last week will look at everything from age limits and safer design features to a social media ban. We are listening to a wide range of voices including parents, teachers, young people and experts to give young people the childhood they deserve and prepare them for the future.

"We will set out our plans in the summer based on the outcome of the consultation."

Meanwhile, responding to the findings, an Ofcom spokesperson added: “Protecting children is a priority for Ofcom. We are determined to make the online world safer for them and give parents confidence that their children are better protected from online harms.

“While significant progress is being made, we’re under no illusion that there is much still to do… We’ve launched investigations into nearly 100 platforms, and issued nearly a dozen fines for non-compliance. We are working urgently to drive change so that children in the UK enjoy a safer life online.”