Thoughts on the UKs Online Safety Act
The UK’s Online Safety Act is a step in the right direction but is it enough? In this piece, our co-founder Robbie reflects on what regulation can and can’t do when it comes to protecting people online, especially young people.
Here is some food for thought and let us know what you think:
I applaud the spirit of the UK’s Online Safety Act (OSA). The experiences we have online can be harmful in many ways, especially for younger people. And without regulation and enforcement I don’t believe the companies hosting these experiences, especially the social media giants, will ever focus on reducing these harms.
I also recognise some of the criticism being levelled against the recent implementation of the OSA. Yes, some companies will be mis-categorised initially and face unduly onerous duties of care. Yes, delegating age verification to the market does seem like a data breach disaster waiting to happen, and raises legitimate questions about conflicting rights.
But I think something more fundamental is missing from the current debate. If our goal is to help people be safe online we need to do much more than strong-arm companies into managing content and access to content. We need to guide, support, and empower people, especially young and vulnerable people to keep themselves safe online. Regardless of the threats they may face.
Because life, lived fully, is not safe. Technology, including age verification, can never make us safe. If we are lucky we come to feel safe in the world as adults because we are loved and supported over many years by people who have our best interests at heart, as we learn how to navigate the complexities of existence.
We experience pain, sadness, humiliation, and loss. We make bad decisions and get ourselves in messes. We are exposed to harm. But with the right support those messes do not end us. The bad decisions become fewer, and the negative experiences become part of our growth.
In my opinion, alongside regulation, we need a societal version of the loving support that we (in the best cases) give our children to navigate the real world. We as parents must do more (I know I don’t do enough) and our schools must do more. The 2025 Ofcom Children’s Media Literacy report found that 97% of children aged 8 – 17 “ can recall having had at least one lesson at school about being online and the possible risks.” At least one lesson. That’s all. These lessons are so few and far between we’re asking children if they can ever ‘recall’ having had one. And this at a time when Ofcom also reports these same children (8 -17) are spending 2 – 5 hours online per day.
We can’t delegate this support to the market; commercial imperatives will always distort the effort. We have a much loved NHS that cares for our real world health from cradle to grave. In 2024 the NHS cost £292 BIllion, or 11% of GDP. A quick google search on government investment into online safety (our digital health) only turns up one entry of £29 million invested in research projects in 2022.
When it comes to what exactly we should do to better prepare our young people to navigate a world that is increasingly lived online, I don’t have all (or really any!) answers. But I think this is an urgent question that needs answering, and is in danger of getting lost.
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