Ban children from social media if Online Safety Act watered down, children's commissioner says

3 April 2025, 08:27 | Updated: 3 April 2025, 12:19

Young people should be removed from social media altogether if the Online Safety Act is watered down as part of US trade negotiations, the children's commissioner for England has said.

Dame Rachel de Souza told Sky News' breakfast with Wilfred Frost that she fought for the flagship bill because children as young as eight are being exposed to "gore, pornography, terrible degrading violence towards women" on the internet.

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The act requires social media firms to block children accessing illegal and harmful material, with fines if they fail to do so.

Dame Rachel said: "If regulation is pulled back on children, if the online safety bill is pulled back on children, then we need children off social media."

She said that would be a "shame" because "we want the internet to be a joyous place where you can learn things".

However, "children need to be kept safe" and parents would be "astounded by what their youngsters are seeing", she added, citing the case of an eight-year-old boy who told her he had seen pornography.

There have been reports Labour could rework the Online Safety Act (OSA), passed by the Tories in 2023, in order to avoid Trump tariffs.

The US President imposed a 10% levy on UK imports as part of global measures announced last night, which is relatively light compared to other countries but comes on top of a 25% tariff on British car imports.

Ministers are still pushing for a trade deal in which they hope could see the tariffs eased, with tech expected to be at the centre of this.

A government spokesperson declined to comment to Sky News when asked if the OSA could be part of the negotiations.

The act has been criticised by tech bosses while US officials have reportedly complained about it to Ofcom, the Guardian reported.

However, any move to water it down would likely anger Labour MPs given the party's manifesto pledged to strengthen online safety.

'Very obvious' US impacting online safety stance

Sky News recently revealed that dozens of backbenchers who wanted tougher action on online safety had formed a group to discuss next steps, with the first meeting held last week.

There is "lots of determination to do something", a source close to the group said today.

They added: "It is very obvious the US negotiations are having a big impact on the government's direction on online safety regulation, not necessarily to the act itself but certainly in their resistance to do anything new despite significant public and political pressure."

There is mounting concern about violent and sexist social media content being served up to children, which has had renewed attention following the release of the Netflix drama Adolescence.

Sir Keir this week held a round table in Downing Street with the show's creators, charities and young people about how to prevent young boys being dragged into a "whirlpool of hatred and misogyny".

Many MPs support strong action, including a social media ban on under 16s and smartphone ban in classrooms.

'Parents need to set an example'

Most schools already ban phones following guidance issued by the Conservatives last year, but it is not required by law and now the Tories say it should be.

Asked if she'd like to see a ban, Dame Rachel, a former head teacher of 20 years, said there is "no reason for having internet connected phones in school during the day".

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She said she will be releasing research next week which shows most schools ban phones "and what we need to be doing is backing our heads up" rather than "missives from Westminster".

She said parents also "need to back their heads on this", while setting an example to children over their own screen time use.

"If we're scrolling as adults at dinner time, if we're looking at the phone in bed, if we're more interested in that than we are in actually talking and engaging... young kids will learn that from us.

"So of course I don't want phones in schools, I banned them for many years, but it needs to go further than that."

(c) Sky News 2025: Ban children from social media if Online Safety Act watered down, children's commissioner says