Welsh pupils contribute to online safety reforms

Ella Groves

A Welsh MP has been working with school pupils across her constituency to raise awareness of the dangers online in the wake of the Online Safety Act.

Last summer the Act introduced a range of online safety measures including age-verification requirements and greater powers for Ofcom to hold companies accountable.

The forums, held with pupils from Year 10 and Year 12, were designed to gather first-hand insights into the risks teenagers face online and to allow their experiences to shape future policy.

Gill German, MP for Clwyd North and Cabinet Member for Education, Children, and Families for Denbighshire, held the first forums at Ysgol Glan Clwyd, St Asaph, and Ysgol Eirias, Colwyn Bay, this term.

As a former teacher Ms German described the campaign as “deeply personal”.

She said: “Some of the biggest risks facing our children today are not visible, they’re happening online, on apps and devices, away from the adults who care about them.

“We need to hear directly from young people about what’s really going on, and we need to act on it.”

Early forum discussions highlighted concerns over harmful content, online bullying, privacy, and AI-generated disinformation.

Ms German said: “The honesty and maturity the pupils showed was remarkable. They were clear that social media platforms must step up via stronger age checks, clearer reporting systems, better safeguards and real accountability.”

All Year 10  and 12 pupils in Clwyd North will be surveyed in early 2025, with follow-up forums in the Spring to address the findings.

Selected pupils will be invited to the House of Commons next summer to present their recommendations.

Ms German said: “This campaign is about empowering young people, but it’s also about bringing schools, families, communities and policymakers together,

“Education in Wales is devolved, but online safety is much broader than the curriculum. It’s about safeguarding and wellbeing. Our schools are already doing outstanding work, and this project builds on that.

“I want this campaign to be part of my legacy as MP. Nothing matters more than the safety and future of our children, and their voices must guide the changes we make.”

The work in North Clwyd will contribute to national discussions with Ofcom and other MPs, in partnership with the Molly Rose Foundation and the Internet Watch Foundation.