Government listens to our Wild West Web campaign and launches White Paper

Today the government have launched their Online Harms White Paper – which outlines detailed plans for tough new online safety measures.

Through our Wild West Web campaign, we have been tirelessly campaigning for children to be better protected online – and our petition has seen over 42,000 people sign to date.

Over the past year, we have been working closely with government to ensure this White Paper addresses the needs of children and that it proposes a robust regulator that will be able to effectively safeguard children online.

The government have included many of our demands in these proposals, including a new independent regulator, and a mandatory ‘duty of care’ to require companies to take reasonable steps to tackle harmful activity on their sites.

If implemented, these measures will be the first of their kind in the world in the fight to make the internet a safer place. A 12-week consultation period on the proposals has been launched.

Thank you to everyone who has signed our petition - we've made so much progress. But we still need your help to make sure this becomes law.

Sign our petition

Peter Wanless, NSPCC Chief Executive, said:

"This is a hugely significant commitment by the Government that once enacted, can make the UK a world pioneer in protecting children online.

"For too long social networks have failed to prioritise children’s safety and left them exposed to grooming, abuse, and harmful content. So it’s high time they were forced to act through this legally binding duty to protect children, backed up with hefty punishments if they fail to do so.

"We are pleased that the Government has listened to the NSPCC's detailed proposals and we are grateful to all those who supported our campaign."