An amendment that would create a dedicated child online safety advocate is due to be debated by Lords next week.
The UK public has overwhelmingly backed calls to strengthen the Online Safety Bill with an independent body to promote and protect children’s interests and safety.
Our YouGov polling1 shows four in five want an independent advocacy body to be created with an amendment to the Online Safety Bill due to be debated in the House of Lords next week.
The amendment, tabled by former Victim's Commissioner; Conservative peer Baroness Helen Newlove, would help ensure children’s voices are heard by the regulator Ofcom and provide a counterbalance to the powerful lobbying of large tech companies.
It's backed by Labour's Lord Jim Knight, online child safety campaigner Baroness Beeban Kidron and Baroness Claire Tyler for the Liberal Democrats.
Barnardo's, Young Minds, 5Rights and the Molly Rose Foundation and Breck Foundation, founded by bereaved parents Ian Russell and Lorin LaFave, have also strongly urged Government to adopt the amendment.
The survey comes as messages from more than 1,000 campaigners, parents, young people and survivors of online abuse were delivered to the Government, urging them to create a child online safety advocate to counteract the influencing power of big tech companies.
It shows consistent support for extra measures in the Online Safety Bill to better protect children by voters of all main parties and people of all ages, genders and backgrounds across the UK.