ASCL comment on government’s aim to strengthen Online Safety Bill

Commenting on the announcement by Digital Minister Chris Philip that the Online Safety Bill will be strengthened to better protect children from online pornography, Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said:

“We welcome this strengthening of the Online Safety Bill. Children must be able to grow up in a society where pornography is not available at the touch of a button.

“Sadly, it is so readily accessible that it has become a normalised part of adolescence. The distorted perceptions that it creates have undoubtedly contributed to the reprehensible climate of abuse and harassment that was clear from the harrowing testimonies on the Everyone's Invited website.

“We simply cannot go on like this and the strengthened Online Safety Bill is a step in the right direction. The frustration is that it has taken an eternity to reach this point.”