Children’s Commissioner for England

“I am pleased to support Safer Internet Day as I want all children and young people to feel better prepared to take on the incredible opportunities that the internet offers while confidently navigating the challenges it can present. In the lead up to Safer Internet Day, I recommended a number of changes in order to improve the experiences of children online. I called for a mandatory digital citizenship programme for all children to build their understanding and resilience and to learn about their digital rights and responsibilities. I also urged social media companies to be more transparent by rewriting their terms and conditions so that children can actually understand them. I want to see a rebalancing of power between children and social media platforms by appointing a Children’s Digital Ombudsman to mediate on behalf of children over complaints and the removal of content. Giving children the resilience, information and power to navigate the internet is a critical step towards ensuring that they have the tools to be the change and unite for a better internet.”