The latest provisions of the UK’s Online Safety Act, including stricter age verification measures such as face recognition, demonstrate that the government is taking children’s digital safety seriously.
While the Online Safety Act is a step forward in protecting young people, focusing solely on control overlooks the vital need to build digital capability. Children today need more than barriers, they need education and support on how to recognise and navigate online risks, build healthy screen habits and reflect on their digital interactions from an early age.
Today’s children aren’t passive users of technology, they are the first generation of true digital natives. They are adaptive, curious and already forming habits, behaviours and expectations that will shape the future of the internet. From as young as six years old, children are not only playing games virtually but video calling friends, consuming content across multiple platforms and engaging in online communities. They are learning to move between physical and digital worlds, but are we helping them to do so safely?
Recent headlines suggest that the regulation alone struggles to keep pace with the realities of digital life. In the days following the Online Safety Act’s enforcement, VPN apps surged to the top of the app stores in the UK. Many adults and tech-savvy teens alike are bypassing safety controls using burner accounts, device-sharing, encrypted messaging, and other workarounds. This highlights a critical limitation: control and restriction, while important, cannot be the sole strategy for digital safety.
Purpose-built platforms that prioritise wellbeing, calm and safe interactions can play a crucial role in supporting this approach. That’s why I created a social platform for children aged six to thirteen that puts wellbeing, reflection and calm at the centre of online interaction. It’s currently in early testing, with backing from Innovate UK and the Centre for Digital innovation. But that is just one part of a broader movement, that embraces digital exploration as a natural and necessary part of childhood and growth.
The next generation won’t just grow up with technology, they will actively shape it. As AI, immersive technologies, and rapidly evolving digital ecosystems redefine how we live, learn and work, equipping children with the right tools, safe spaces, and digital skills is more important than ever.
Digital safety isn’t simply about managing risk or enforcing rules, it’s about building readiness, cultivating confidence, resilience and critical thinking for the complex digital world children are inheriting. The time to start is now, with a balanced approach that combines regulation, education and innovative solutions designed with children in mind.
