GILL GERMAN MP has hailed the launch of a major new children’s online safety consultation as a breakthrough moment in a campaign she has long championed.

The Clwyd North MP says young people in her constituency will help shape the next phase of reform, having spent months leading an online safety campaign with local schools to ensure their “lived experiences” inform national policy.

A former teacher and Denbighshire Cabinet Member for Education, Children and Families, Gill welcomed the UK Government’s consultation, launched by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, calling it a vital opportunity to turn local evidence into national change.

The consultation invites parents, carers, teachers and young people to share their views on a wide range of proposals aimed at strengthening protections for children using social media, gaming platforms and AI chatbots.

“With the Government launching this consultation, it’s crucial that young people’s real-world experiences are part of the national conversation,” said Gill.

“Young people are the ones living this digital reality, their views on what works and what doesn’t online should shape policy, not be an afterthought.”

Among the measures under consideration are the introduction of a minimum age for social media use, mandatory overnight curfews for under-18s, and restrictions on potentially addictive design features such as infinite scrolling and autoplay.

The Government is also seeking views on how age-verification systems can be made more robust and how digital education for children and parents could be improved.

The three-month consultation closes on May 26 with a Government response expected in the summer.

Gill said the process builds on the implementation of key provisions in the Online Safety Act 2023, which introduced tougher child-safety duties for tech platforms and strengthened the powers of Ofcom to hold companies to account.

Through forums with Year 10 and Year 12 pupils last year, she gathered first-hand insights into the risks teenagers face online – from cyberbullying and harmful content to privacy concerns and AI-driven misinformation. Initial sessions were held at Ysgol Glan Clwyd in St Asaph, and Ysgol Eirias, Colwyn Bay, with further sessions planned this spring.

“As someone who has worked with young people my whole life, this is deeply personal to me,” she added.

“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.”

Earlier this year, Gill circulated a constituency-wide survey to pupils asking for their views on proposals such as a social media age ban and other safety measures. Hundreds of detailed responses have already been returned, forming a strong evidence base on issues ranging from cyberbullying and harmful content to privacy concerns and mental health impacts for her formal submission to the consultation and for wider parliamentary work.

“These responses show just how seriously young people in Clwyd North take online safety,” she said.

“Our communities should be proud that local young voices will help influence policy discussions in Westminster and across the UK.”

Gill is urging families, schools and young people across the constituency to engage with the national consultation before the May deadline to ensure the next chapter of online safety reform is guided by those living it every day.

For more information, email gill.german.mp@parliament.uk or visit the website: Gill German MP – Standing up for Clwyd North. Alternatively, call 01745 335267 or follow Gill on social media.