Safer Internet Day is an important reminder that we all have a responsibility to make a positive difference online. Connected technologies and social media have ensured that today’s generation of children and young people are the first to have truly grown up in the digital age. Technology and online companies must be held accountable for their part in creating a safer online world and I welcome the recent Age Appropriate Design Code from the Information Commissioner’s Office as an important step in this direction.

In Northern Ireland, I look forward to our devolved government bringing forward an Online Strategy which places children’s rights at the centre of how we create a culture where everyone is empowered to use technology critically and creatively and where children will be safe. Parents and teachers also need better guidance and support on how to deal with the digital world. Children’s online and offline lives are intrinsically linked and children’s rights can only prosper in the digital environment if we commit to higher standards and better practice.