Online Safety Act Network

“We've seen the spread of mis- and dis-information about electoral candidates and its chilling effect on the democratic process.

"We need a Code of Practice produced by Ofcom and the Electoral Commission to protect candidates and encourage democratic participation.”

🗣️ Tallulah Belassie-Page

PM: “No platform gets a free pass”: Government takes action to keep children safe online The Government will give parents and carers greater clarity and support as the Prime Minister announces immediate action to make the online world safer for children.

👇🏻 #onlinesafetyact

www.gov.uk/government/n...

Time to move from hype to action, now that AI is already part of childhood - Media@LSE On Safer Internet Day 2026, the EU Kids Online Team detail some of the findings of their new report on children and their use of generative AI.

🌐 On #SaferInternetDay, the #EUKids Online team shares new findings on how children use and think about generative AI 🤖👧🧒 — moving from hype to action.

🔗 Read more: blogs.lse.ac.uk/medialse/202...

#GenerativeAI #Childhood #DigitalSafety @sonialivingstone.bsky.social @mariyastoilova.bsky.social

🚨 Our latest fortnightly #onlinesafety newsletter has hit inboxes this morning.
📰 Read it at the link below.
🖋️ Sign up if you don't already receive it directly.
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🤝 Stay connected. us4.campaign-archive.com?e=12547a4002...

so a month ago I was reading @markpackuk.bsky.social’s speech on Twitter in the lords and there were obviously fake stats the government used to justify Twitter’s UK reach and its continued importance to British audiences

Rob has now found the source of the data was… Twitter

Exclusive: Despite new curbs, Elon Musk’s Grok at times produces sexualized images - even when told subjects didn’t consent After Elon Musk’s social media company X announced new curbs on Grok’s public output, Reuters reporters gave it a series of prompts to determine whether and under what circumstances the chatbot would ...

Relatedly, this: www.reuters.com/business/des...

@ofcom.bsky.social has today published an "update" on its investigation into #Grok and the #ICO has announced it's opening one of its own. Here's our response on why both regulators need to up their game and why gaps in the #onlinesafetyact must be filled. www.onlinesafetyact.net/analysis/osa...

Quite the conveyor belt of witnesses giving evidence in the first two sessions of the #cybersecurity and resilience Bill Committee today, with #DSIT Minister Kanishka Narayan rounding up before the Committee starts its scrutiny on Thursday.

Today, we're joining @osanetwork.bsky.social to publish a code that will strengthen the Online Safety Act & protect elections in the UK.

CCDH has repeatedly shown how unaccountable social media platforms enable abuse and violence against elected officials and candidates.

Read more 👇

The recent Speaker's Conference, based on our recommendation, called on the Government to use the #electionsbill to mandate @ofcom.bsky.social to produce such a code. With the introduction of that Bill now apparently imminent - and time of the essence - we've done the work. It's time to act. 2/2

🆕 Today we're publishing a code for improved #onlinesafety for election candidates, developed with experts at @demos-uk.bsky.social @counterhate.com @isdglobal.org @jocoxfoundation.bsky.social @wfd.org @fawcettsociety.bsky.social @fullfact.org & #ElectHer 1/2
www.onlinesafetyact.net/analysis/imp...

This is effectively a government backed advertising campaign for Big Tech for a product that doesn't work properly.

Great to be joined by cross-party Parliamentarians, DSIT Minister Kanishka Narayan and our fabulous civil society partners in Parliament today to launch our 10-point plan to strengthen the #onlinesafetyact - there's much to do but the commitment to working with us to do it was hugely welcome.

Musk’s Chatbot Flooded X With Millions of Sexualized Images in Days, New Estimates Show

We set out to determine how many images of women and girls Grok created during its nudifying spree. What we found was “industrial-scale abuse,” experts said. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/22/t...

Musk’s Chatbot Flooded X With Millions of Sexualized Images in Days, New Estimates Show

If you ever wonder, what is it that Musk doesn’t want you to know… here’s your answer.

Another brilliant bit of research by @counterhate.com

www.nytimes.com/2026/01/22/t...

Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill - Hansard - UK Parliament Hansard record of the item : 'Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill' on Wednesday 21 January 2026.

🚨 Lord Nash won the vote on his #socialmedia amendment in the Lords last night - read the transcript here, including Baroness Kidron on #safetybydesign & support from Lord Clement-Jones & Viscount Colville for our proposals to strengthen the #onlinesafetyact 👇🏻

hansard.parliament.uk/lords/2026-0...

Well said, Baroness Kidron in @houseoflords.parliament.uk #socialmedia debate tonight. #onlinesafetyact

www.theguardian.com/politics/liv...?

Grok will always be a harassment tool GenAI and gender-based violence are inextricably linked, well beyond bikinis on X.

Last week, in response to international pressure, X announced it was restricting Grok's ability to edit people into revealing clothes. That has not stopped the rampant trend of sexual harassment via Grok edits. The culture around GenAI is firmly rooted in abuse.
spitfirenews.com/p/grok-will-...

"We believe the most efficient and effective way to stop the tech companies continuing to harm our children - and many others - is to strengthen and enforce the existing #onlinesafetyact."

Our response to the Government's #socialmedia consultation today.👇🏻

www.onlinesafetyact.net/analysis/str...

Why I oppose banning children from social media Sir Keir Starmer must target addictive tech design and promote online wellbeing rather than a popular but ineffective solution, writes the father of Molly Russell

Ian Russell op-ed in the Times urging the Government to focus on strengthening the #onlinesafetyact: www.thetimes.com/uk/technolog...

Labour plans to ban under-16s from social media Teenagers face Australian-style crackdown on using websites such as TikTok, Facebook and Instagram

Telegraph: www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/202...

FT: www.ft.com/content/1529...

What UK social media ban on children could look like - as government considers action There have been growing calls for Sir Keir Starmer to increase the minimum age for social media platforms, and Number 10 has signalled it is open to the idea. Sky News looks at where the government co...

Sky analysis of what a ban could look like, based on how it's been implemented in Australia. #DSIT Ministers are going on a visit to see how it's working (even though it only came into force just over a month ago): news.sky.com/story/what-u...

UK to consult on social media ban for under 16s The government said it expected schools to be

BBC coverage here: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Government to drive action to improve children’s relationship with mobile phones and social media Government launches consultation on children's social media use and bans phones in schools to protect young people's wellbeing and ensure safer online experiences.

Detail from #DSIT on the proposals "to boost children’s wellbeing online" which is out for consultation today, including a proposed ban on under-16s access to #socialmedia.

We'll be publishing our response later and will share comment and reaction here during the day. www.gov.uk/government/n...

Sir Keir Starmer to consult on social media ban for under-16s Dozens of Labour MPs have called on the prime minister to raise the age for using platforms such Snapchat, TikTok and Instagram

Times now picking up the same intell about consultation coming soon on social media restrictions for kids

www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...

Downing St is poised to launch a consultation into social media restrictions on teenagers, here’s our scoop from Saturday’s FT:

www.ft.com/content/acbe...

This figure (and the full article) tells you a lot about the grip the tech sector and its lobbyists have on UK government thinking and just how hard it is for civil society to get its voice heard. #onlinesafetyact 👇🏻

www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Government research doesn’t prove screen time ‘damages’ toddlers’ speech – Full Fact A study found a correlation between very high screen time and lower vocabulary in two-year-olds, but it didn’t say that one caused the other.

💥 The Guardian, BBC News and Telegraph have corrected stories claiming research showed screen time damages toddlers’ speech, after @fullfact.org got in touch.

(The study showed a correlation between screen time and smaller vocab, not that one caused the other.)

fullfact.org/health/scree...

X still allowing users to post sexualised images generated by Grok AI tool Despite restrictions announced this week, Guardian reporters find standalone app continues to allow posting of nonconsensual content

No surprise to learn X is still permitting users to post these images generated by Grok despite claiming it had taken action. Enough is enough. @ofcom.bsky.social MUST use its powers to shut this down www.theguardian.com/technology/2...