Our #WildWestWeb campaign calls for statutory regulation to make social networks safer.
New figures obtained by us from Freedom of Information requests to every police force in England and Wales reveal:
- a total of 5,161 crimes of sexual communication with a child recorded in 18 months
- almost a 50% increase in offence in offences recorded in latest six months compared to same period in previous year
- a 200% rise in recorded instances in the use of Instagram to target and abuse children over the same time period1.
Ahead of the Government's Online Harms White Paper, we're urging ministers to tame the #WildWestWeb by bringing in statutory regulation to enforce a legal duty of care to children on social networks, backed by hefty fines if they fail.
Our #WildWestWeb campaign is calling for an independent regulator with the power to investigate and fine social networks if they fall short in protecting children.