ASCL comment on Ofcom proposals to improve children’s online safety

08/05/2024
Pepe Di’Iasio, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, responds to Ofcom’s proposed measures that social media companies must take to improve children's safety when they're online.
 
“We welcome these proposals which are in truth long overdue. Social media companies cannot be allowed to get away with putting profits before the safety of their users and allowing children to be exposed to all kinds of inappropriate content. This has taken a toll on the mental wellbeing of young people, with schools often left in the impossible position of managing the fallout from incidents that have arisen online.  
 
“We have been calling for proper regulation of social media for some time, and action has been frustratingly slow. These proposals are a step forward in the right direction, and cannot be implemented soon enough, but ultimately time will tell how effective they prove to be.”