13,000 online child abuse incidents whilst Online Safety Bill in limbo

More than 13,000 child sex offences will have been recorded whilst the government's flagship online safety plans are in limbo, new research suggests.

Children's charity the NSPCC, which compiled the research, has said a change in the law is "crucial" and must be treated "as a priority" given the harms against kids.

Chief executive of the NSPCC Sir Peter Wanless said: "There is overwhelming public consensus for the crucial legislation to be bought back as a priority and with strengthened protections for children".

Nearly 50,000 people have signed a petition calling on the new Prime Minister to get the Online Safety Bill passed. The campaign includes a letter from a victim who was groomed online from the age of 11.

The person writes: "Unregulated online spaces meant my abuser could use several platforms to groom, abuse, and manipulate me without ever having to leave his home".

"Online grooming by its very nature is intense and deceptive, and it took me a long time to realise that what happened to me was not my fault. Sadly, too many children are still going through the same thing".

"They are still not safe from grooming and sexual abuse online "But you can change this. You have the power to stop this happening to other young people."

CARE Analysis

The Online Safety Bill has been paused since July due to leadership wrangling in the Conservative Party. It makes its return to parliament today, to a mixed reception.

If enacted, the legislation would force tech companies to take steps to protect users from harmful or distressing content, or face fines from regulator Ofcom.

Civil liberties groups complained that a previous draft of the plans was poorly-defined and threatened free expression in the online world, whilst child protection campaigners called for tougher measures.

CARE has underlined problem aspects of the bill targeting "legal but harmful" expression, which could see tech companies censoring Christian teaching on moral issues.

Our policy experts have also stressed the need for age verification measures - to stop children accessing pornographic sites. And called for action before the bill comes into force.

A wealth of research shows both that children are accessing porn from a young age, and that this is extremely harmful to their development and relationships.

Find out more about our work in this area at our main cause page: CARE for Online Safety