Online Safety minister travels to Australia to learn key findings from its social media approach

With only 2 days to go until the landmark children’s online safety consultation closes, ministers are urging parents and kids to have their say and help inform the next steps the UK will take on protecting children online.

This comes as the Minister for Online Safety, Kanishka Narayan, prepares to travel to Australia this week. The Minister’s visit to Australia marks the next stage of government’s listening exercise through the national conversation, taking the discussion and fact finding mission international as government looks at how other countries are responding to the same challenges.

While in Australia the Minister will hold talks with counterparts including Australia’s E-Safety Commissioner, to hear how their world-first social media age restrictions have been working in practice, what it’s looked like in implementation and regulation, and what lessons they’ve learned since bringing the age restrictions into force.

He will also meet directly with young Australians to understand what the changes have meant for them, and how it’s impacted their lives.

The visit follows on from a week where the Minister travelled across the UK, hearing directly from families, teachers and young people in all corners, hearing their views on social media and other online safety measures being explored. It’s also taking place in the same week Tech Secretary, Liz Kendall travels to Paris for the G7, where she will meet with Ministerial counterparts to discuss technology matters across partner countries, including creating a safer online world for young people.

Online Safety Minister Kanishka Narayan said

As we get ready to set out our next steps for creating a safer world online for children, it is crucial that we learn from the best evidence available.

We want to make sure whatever we do, we do it right. That is why I am travelling to Australia to see how their world-first approach to social media age restrictions has been working.

I will bring the lessons Australia has learned back with me to inform our next steps, and ensure we can create safer, more enriching and healthy childhoods for young people across our country.

The visit ‘down under’ comes as government announces the membership of the academic panel responsible for providing government with an assessment of evidence alongside the consultation responses.

The panel, made up of internationally recognised experts on child safety online, will support government to understand the positive and the negative effects of social media on young people and the potential interventions that can help them lead happier, healthier online lives. Providing crucial evidence to inform government’s next steps in this space.

Chaired by Professor Russell Viner, the panel brings together leading experts in child development, technology and online safety. This includes Professor Amy Orben, who has been leading a major scientific trial with thousands of young people in Bradford, looking at the effects of reducing social media use among adolescents.

The landmark consultation has already reached more than 70,000 responses, one of the biggest consultation responses under this government. Earlier this week the Prime Minister and Technology Secretary hosted a forum for parents, young people and civil society groups in Downing Street to hear their views directly on the changes needed to keep children safe online. The consultation now enters its final 2 days for input, and government will then respond formally during the summer setting out next steps.

Notes to editors:

The full membership of the academic panel is:

• Professor Russell Viner (Chair)
• Professor Amy Orben
• Professor Sonia Livingstone OBE FBA
• Professor Bernadka Dubicka
• Professor Netta Weinstein
• Professor Rosie Flewitt
• Professor Peter Etchells
• Professor Deborah Fry
• Dr Akshi Kumar