Digital devices are now part of everyday life. For children, they’re where learning happens, friendships grow, games are played and curiosity takes off. When used well, technology can be a powerful force for good, helping people stay connected, access support, do their jobs and open up new opportunities.

But we also know the other side of the story. Too many children are being exposed to things they shouldn’t see, too young, and for too long. That’s why recent changes to strengthen online protections for children really matter.

For the first time, AI chat tools that can generate harmful or illegal content are being brought fully within the scope of the Online Safety Act. Until now, some services have been operating in a grey area where millions of users—including children—without clear or consistent safeguards. That gap is finally being closed, and this will build on recent steps the government has taken to ban nudification apps and criminalise the creation of intimate images without consent.

This is the right thing to do—the moral choice—and I’m proud to stand behind efforts to create a safer online world for children.

The message is simple: no tech company gets a free pass on child safety.

If a platform wants to operate in the UK, it must meet the same basic standards we expect everywhere else, by removing illegal content, building safety in from the start, and being held accountable when things go wrong. Our children’s lives and wellbeing cannot pay the price any longer.

And while legislation provides huge improvements, protecting children online also means supporting parents, carers and families who are trying to navigate a digital world that can feel overwhelming. That’s why I welcome the new campaign, ‘You Won’t Know until you Ask’, providing parents with practical support they can use immediately and the confidence they need to have a conversation with their children about the content they see online.

This campaign supports parents to:

You can find more information at kidsonlinesafety.campaign.gov.uk

It’s important to remember why this work matters so deeply. Many people locally will have heard of Jools’ Law, a campaign born out of unimaginable loss. After the death of her son, Jools, his mother, Ellen, fought to ensure a child’s online data can be preserved, so families searching for answers aren’t left abandoned. I am really pleased this will be actioned and thank Ellen for her tireless campaigning.

We can make a difference on this. Politics can be a force for good. We can protect our children, and we can protect their childhood.