Helping Children Stay Safe, Responsible & Protected Online
The internet plays a major role in children's lives through education, gaming, communication, entertainment and social media.
While the online world can provide many positive opportunities, it can also expose children to risks that may affect their safety, wellbeing, mental health and development.
Parents, carers and families play an important role in helping children use technology safely, responsibly and confidently.
Online Safety Law & Children - Current UK Position
Online Safety Act 2023
The Online Safety Act 2023 created legal duties for many online services used in the UK.
Ofcom is the regulator responsible for enforcing many of these requirements.
Services likely to be accessed by children can have duties to:
- Assess risks to children
- Put appropriate child-safety protections in place
- Reduce children's exposure to harmful content
- Provide reporting and complaint systems
- Use appropriate age-assurance measures where required
Child-Safety Duties Are Already in Force
Ofcom's Protection of Children Codes came into force on 25 July 2025.
Services covered by the duties must take proportionate measures to protect children from harmful content.
Particularly serious content includes:
- Pornography
- Suicide content
- Self-harm content
- Eating-disorder content
Other protections can address risks including bullying, violent content, abusive material, dangerous challenges and unwanted contact.
Age Checks
Online services covered by the relevant duties may have to use highly effective age-assurance measures to prevent children from accessing particular harmful content.
Future Change Announced - Under-16 Social Media Restrictions
In June 2026, the UK Government announced plans to prevent social media services from being provided to children under 16.
Further restrictions have also been announced for features including livestreaming and contact from strangers.
These additional under-16 restrictions are not yet fully in force as of 24 August 2026.
The government currently expects the new protections to come into force in spring 2027, following legislation and implementation.
Parents should therefore continue to use existing safety tools, platform settings, supervision and current Online Safety Act protections.
Why Online Safety Matters
Children and young people may face online risks including:
- Cyberbullying
- Online grooming
- Inappropriate or harmful content
- Scams and fraud
- Social media pressures
- Online exploitation
- Sharing personal information
- Gaming risks and online strangers
- Exposure to violence or sexual content
- Mental health impacts from excessive screen use
Children may not always recognise danger online, especially when communication feels friendly or familiar.
Supporting Safe Internet Use
Parents and carers can help children stay safer online by:
- Talking openly about internet safety
- Setting age-appropriate boundaries
- Monitoring online activity appropriately
- Using parental controls where suitable
- Encouraging children to report concerns
- Teaching children about privacy and consent
- Promoting healthy screen time habits
- Staying involved in apps, games and social media platforms children use
Open and calm communication is often more effective than fear or punishment.
Ask About What Children Actually Do Online
Online safety conversations can be more useful when adults understand how a child actually uses technology.
Consider discussing:
- Favourite games
- Apps and social media
- Who they communicate with
- Livestreaming
- Group chats
- AI chatbots
- Images and videos
- In-game purchases
- What they would do if something felt wrong
Talking to Children About Online Safety
Children should feel able to speak to trusted adults if something online makes them uncomfortable, worried or unsafe.
Parents can encourage safe conversations by:
- Remaining calm and supportive
- Avoiding blame or shame
- Listening carefully
- Reassuring children they will not automatically lose devices
- Encouraging honesty about mistakes or concerns
Children are more likely to seek help when they feel safe and supported.
Social Media Safety
Social media can affect:
- Self-esteem
- Body image
- Mental health
- Peer pressure
- Sleep and emotional wellbeing
Parents should encourage children to:
- Keep accounts private
- Avoid sharing personal information
- Think carefully before posting images or videos
- Block and report harmful behaviour
- Avoid communicating with strangers
- Understand that online content can be copied, shared and may remain accessible after it has been posted
Children may also feel pressure from likes, comments or comparisons online.
Check Platform Age Rules
Different apps, games and social media services have different minimum-age rules.
Parents should check the current terms and age requirements for the particular service rather than assuming the same age applies everywhere.
Gaming & Online Chat Risks
Online gaming can expose children to:
- Inappropriate language or behaviour
- Contact from strangers
- In-game purchases and scams
- Excessive screen time
- Bullying or harassment
Parents can help by:
- Checking age ratings on games
- Using parental controls
- Monitoring online chats
- Discussing safe behaviour with children
- Setting healthy time limits
Gaming can be positive and social when used safely and in balance.
Watch for Moving Conversations to Private Apps
A child may meet someone through a game or social platform who later asks them to move the conversation to private messaging, video chat or another service.
Children should know that becoming familiar with somebody online does not prove who that person really is.
Sharing Photos & Personal Information
Children should be taught:
- Never to share addresses, school details, passwords or phone numbers online
- To think carefully before sending photos or videos
- That private images can be copied, shared or misused
- That people online may not always be who they claim to be
Parents should also consider children's privacy when posting about them online.
Location Information
Children should also understand how photographs, apps and social media can reveal their location.
Check settings for:
- Live location sharing
- Geotagging
- Public profiles
- Maps showing friends or users
- Location permissions
The Information Commissioner's Children's Code expects geolocation to be switched off by default for children unless there is a compelling reason otherwise.
Children's Online Privacy & Personal Data
ICO Children's Code
The Information Commissioner's Children's Code applies data protection standards to many online services likely to be accessed by children.
Important principles include:
- The best interests of the child
- High privacy settings by default
- Collecting only necessary personal information
- Limiting unnecessary data sharing
- Geolocation normally being off by default
- Age-appropriate privacy information
- Accessible tools for children to report concerns
AI, Deepfakes & Misuse of Children's Images
Artificial intelligence creates new online opportunities but can also create new safety risks for children.
Potential concerns include:
- AI-generated fake images
- Manipulated photographs or videos
- Impersonation
- Fake accounts
- Sexualised deepfake images
- Scams using AI-generated messages or voices
- Children relying on unsafe or misleading chatbot responses
Sexualised AI Images of Children
Ordinary photographs of children can potentially be manipulated using AI to create abusive or sexualised images.
Parents and children should be cautious about making large amounts of identifiable personal imagery publicly available.
If there are concerns about online child sexual abuse or exploitation, CEOP provides a specialist reporting route.
Cyberbullying
Cyberbullying can include:
- Hurtful messages
- Exclusion from groups
- Fake accounts
- Threats or harassment
- Sharing embarrassing images or videos
Signs a child may be struggling include:
- Anxiety about using devices
- Withdrawal or low mood
- Changes in behaviour
- Avoiding school or friendships
- Emotional distress after being online
Children should be encouraged to:
- Block harmful users
- Save evidence
- Report bullying
- Speak to trusted adults
Save Evidence Safely
Depending on the situation, useful evidence may include:
- Screenshots
- Usernames
- Dates and times
- URLs
- Messages
- Details of reports made to a platform
Do not unnecessarily copy, download or redistribute illegal sexual images of children in an attempt to gather evidence.
Passwords, Scams & Account Security
Children and families can also be targeted by phishing, scams, account theft and fraudulent messages.
Useful security steps include:
- Use strong and different passwords for important accounts.
- Protect the main email account particularly carefully.
- Use two-step verification where available.
- Keep devices and apps updated.
- Do not click suspicious links.
- Be cautious about unexpected messages asking for money.
- Never give passwords or verification codes to strangers.
- Use trusted app stores and downloads.
Screen Time & Mental Wellbeing
Technology should be balanced with:
- Sleep
- Exercise
- Family time
- Education
- Offline friendships and hobbies
Excessive or disruptive screen use may affect:
- Sleep patterns
- Emotional wellbeing
- Attention and concentration
- Physical activity
- Mental health
Healthy routines and boundaries can support balanced technology use.
Look at the Whole Picture
Screen use is not all the same.
Education, communicating with family, creative activity, gaming and passive scrolling can affect children differently.
Rather than focusing only on the number of hours, families can consider whether technology is disrupting:
- Sleep
- School
- Physical activity
- Family relationships
- Offline friendships
- Emotional wellbeing
Parental Controls & Safety Tools
Parents may choose to use:
- Device parental controls
- App restrictions
- Privacy settings
- Safe search filters
- Screen time management tools
Parental controls can help reduce risks but should work alongside ongoing communication and trust.
Check More Than the Phone
Parental controls may be available through:
- Mobile network providers
- Home broadband providers
- Phones and tablets
- Games consoles
- Smart TVs
- Streaming services
- Individual apps and games
Online Safety in Separated Families
Children may use phones, tablets, games and online communication while spending time in more than one household.
Where it is safe and appropriate, separated parents may find it useful to share important information about:
- Apps and games the child uses
- Age restrictions
- Parental controls
- Online safety concerns
- Cyberbullying
- Unknown online contacts
- Device routines
- Privacy and location settings
Keep Children Out of Adult Conflict
Online safety disagreements should not place children in the middle of conflict between adults.
Cafcass advises separated parents not to use children to pass messages between parents and encourages communication focused on the child's needs.
Where there is domestic abuse, a safeguarding risk, restricted contact or a court order, safety arrangements and the terms of any order must take priority.
What to Do if a Child Is at Risk Online
If a child may be at risk:
- Stay calm and supportive
- Remove immediate risks where necessary
- Report harmful content or users
- Seek safeguarding support if needed
- Contact police where there are immediate dangers or criminal concerns
Children should never be blamed for reporting concerns or making mistakes online.
If there is immediate danger or exploitation concerns, contact 999.
Reporting Online Harm
Report to the Platform
Use the app, game, website or social network's own report and block functions.
Ofcom advises users who encounter harmful content to report it to the service rather than sharing it further.
Ofcom - Harmful Content AdviceOnline Sexual Abuse or Grooming
CEOP can receive reports about online child sexual abuse, grooming and inappropriate sexual contact.
CEOP Safety CentreOther Harmful Content
Report Harmful Content provides guidance about reporting harmful material to online services.
Report Harmful ContentSafeguarding Concern
Concerns that a child may be experiencing abuse or neglect can also be reported to the appropriate local authority.
GOV.UK - Report Child AbuseOnline Safety Support & Guidance
Online Safety & Child Protection
Thinkuknow resources are now provided through the National Crime Agency's CEOP Education service.
CEOP EducationReporting Harmful Content or Exploitation
Mental Health & Emotional Support
Child Support Services
Childline
ChildlineNSPCC
NSPCCCEOP Education
CEOP EducationICO Children's Privacy
ICO Children's CodeFamily Online Safety Checklist
- Know which apps and games your child uses.
- Check age requirements.
- Review privacy settings.
- Switch off unnecessary location sharing.
- Use parental controls where appropriate.
- Discuss strangers and online grooming.
- Discuss what personal information should remain private.
- Talk about sending and receiving images.
- Explain that images can be copied and manipulated.
- Discuss AI-generated and fake content.
- Use strong passwords.
- Turn on two-step verification where appropriate.
- Keep devices updated.
- Check in-game spending controls.
- Discuss cyberbullying.
- Show children how to block and report users.
- Encourage children to save appropriate evidence of bullying.
- Tell children they can ask for help without being blamed.
- Maintain healthy sleep and device routines.
- Review safety settings regularly as children grow older.
- Report suspected grooming or sexual exploitation to CEOP.
- Contact safeguarding services where a child may be at risk.
If a Child Is in Immediate Danger
If a child is in immediate danger, contact emergency services on 999.
If the concern involves online child sexual abuse, grooming or exploitation, a report can also be made to the National Crime Agency's CEOP command.
Final Message
The online world is a major part of modern childhood.
Helping children stay safe online is not only about restrictions - it is about guidance, trust, communication and building confidence to make safe choices.
Children benefit most when trusted adults remain involved, supportive, informed and approachable about online life and digital safety.
Online safety works best when children know that if something goes wrong, they can tell a trusted adult without automatically being blamed, punished or shamed.