STORY
More than a third of children aged eight to 17 talk or play online with people they only know through the internet or have never met, according to new research published by the Information Commissioner’s Office. An online survey of more than 4,000 children and their parents found that 36% reported this type of interaction, rising to 40% among those aged 14 to 16.
The research also found a substantial gap between parental monitoring and children’s behaviour online. Ninety one per cent of parents said they used controls or monitoring tools, while 41% of children said they had tried to get around them. Of those who attempted to bypass the controls, 49% said they found it easy. More than half of children said they would try to circumvent an age check if they wanted to access a particular platform or service.
The ICO published the findings alongside an update to its children’s strategy. The regulator estimates that changes introduced by several major online platforms following its regulatory work have improved protections for close to five million child users since April 2024. It said parental controls remain useful but should be accompanied by regular conversations between parents and children about their online activity.