Darlington MP Lola McEvoy tells debate children's safety online is 'most defining issue of our time'

Darlington's MP Lola McEvoy told her colleagues that 'online bullying is rife' as she led a debate on the issue in Parliament. Credit: UK Parliament

The MP for Darlington has led a debate in Westminster on children's safety online, after hearing from parents and young people in her constituency that "online bullying is rife".

Lola McEvoy told her colleagues that the issue is the "most defining of our time".

Speaking in Westminster Hall on Tuesday (26 November), the Labour MP said: "The children in my town have told me that age verification requirements are easily passed through and that content on these sites are deeply disturbing. So we need to talk about stopping those sites or changing the age verification."

It comes as new legislation, the Online Safety Act, sets out to minimise risks, placing new legal responsibilities on online providers to keep young people safe.

Research by regulator Ofcom shows around 70% of parents are worried about their children being bullied online.

Ms McEvoy has been working with schools and parents in her constituency to improve online safety. She has been horrified at some of the things young people have been exposed to while using apps.

Teachers and pupils at one school in Darlington agree with Ms McEvoy that more needs to be done.

Gemma Elysee, deputy principal and safeguarding lead at Beaumont Academy, said: "There are far too many risks online for our young people, and there are insufficient measures in place to protect our young people from accessing the most dangerous parts of the internet.

"In school, we have a lot of measures in place, filtering and monitoring, so when they're online in our school building they're exceptionally safe. However, that doesn't always extend to when they leave the school building and go into the community."

Pupils at Beaumont Academy in Darlington have been learning about how to stay safe online

Nathan Barrowcliff, a pupil at Barrowcliff Academy, said: "Kids online are getting exposed to this stuff, and companies aren't doing anything about it.

"I get that people say it's a breach of privacy, but if nothing's in place yet, us kids, the next generation, will be affected by mental health problems."

Responding to Ms McEvoy's debate in Westminster Hall, Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Feryal Clark said: "The Government are committed to keeping children safe online, and it is crucial that we continue to have conversations about how best to achieve that goal."

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