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Ofcom has warned that social media sites could be banned from accessing under-18s if they fail to comply with new online safety rules.
The media regulator has published a draft code of practice on child safety, calling on social media companies to put in place more robust age-checking measures and adjust their algorithms to avoid recommending content that is harmful to children.
Ofcom boss Dame Melanie Dawes warned that businesses that break the rules will be “named and shamed” and the minimum user age could be raised to 18.
But parents of children who have died after being exposed to harmful online content say Ofcom's new rules are “insufficient”.
- Parents of children affected by harmful content will appear on BBC Breakfast at 08:00 BST
In a letter to Chancellor Rishi Sunak, they said they were “disappointed” by Ofcom's “lack of ambition”.
Most tech companies contacted by the BBC refused to respond to the bill.
Following the introduction of the Online Safety Act, Ofcom's job is to enforce new, tougher rules. These rules dictate what technology companies must do to comply with the law.
In an interview with the BBC, Ofcom boss Dame Melanie Dawes further elaborated on what the group called “step changes” to regulation, and said that current online safety campaigners Russell and Gee also participated.
Ofcom says its regulations have more than 40 “practical measures”.
At the core are requirements around the algorithms used to decide what appears on people's social media feeds.
Ofcom said tech companies should set up algorithms to filter out the most harmful content from children's feeds and reduce the visibility and prominence of other harmful content.
Other proposed measures include forcing companies to implement stricter age verification when displaying harmful content and stronger content moderation, including so-called “Safe Search” features on search engines. This includes requiring the introduction of
These new measures are expected to come into force in late 2025, according to Ofcom's timeline.
“We want our children to enjoy online life,” Melanie said.
“But for too long, their experiences have been marred by deeply harmful content that they cannot avoid or control.”
Mr Russell and Mr Gay are both part of a group of bereaved families who signed an open letter to Mr Sunak and opposition leader Sir Keir Starmer.
In it, they call on politicians to do more to keep children safe online, including “committing to strengthening online safety laws in the first half of the next parliament”.
They are also calling for mental health and suicide prevention to be integrated into school curricula.
“We will be studying Ofcom's latest proposals carefully and are disappointed by their lack of ambition so far,” they added in the letter.
Ian Russell's daughter Molly took her own life in 2017 at the age of 14.
In 2022, a coroner concluded that she died of self-inflicted injuries while suffering from depression and the negative effects of online content.
Coroner Andrew Walker said the images he viewed of self-harm and suicide “should not have been shown to children”.
Esther Gay's daughter Brianna, 16, was murdered by two teenagers in February 2023.
Mr Jenkinson had watched violent videos on the darknet before carrying out the murder.
“Step up”
The government claims the measures announced by Ofcom will “bring about fundamental changes to the way children in the UK experience the online world”.
Technology Secretary Michelle Donnellan called on big tech companies to take the code seriously.
“My message to the platforms is to work with us and be prepared,” she said.
“Instead of waiting for enforcement or hefty fines, take action now to meet your responsibilities.”
Most tech companies contacted by the BBC did not respond or declined to comment on the record.
These include Meta, the owner of Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp, as well as X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, Reddit, Discord, Twitch (owned by Amazon), YouTube (owned by Google), and Apple.
Photo-sharing site Flickr did not comment on specific countermeasures, but said it would work to ensure safety.
