Children's Commissioner calls for comprehensive approach to online safety

Children's Commissioner Jane Searle says the newly announced Online Safety (Minimum Age and Child Safety Risk Assessment) Bill reflects genuine and valid concerns about the risks children and young people face online, but warns that age restrictions alone will not keep children safe.

“We all know online harm is a critical issue that is impacting the safety and wellbeing of our children and young people,” says Ms Searle.

“Parents and caregivers are concerned and young people themselves tell us they are also worried about online harm and want changes to keep them safe.

“I welcome the focus on protecting children online. Regulation to make the online world safe for children is overdue.”

Lasting improvements in online safety will require stronger regulation, meaningful accountability for technology companies, education and support for whānau, and ongoing engagement and support for children and young people themselves.

Ms Searle says it will be important to consider the impacts on different groups of children, including mokopuna Māori, Rainbow, disabled, migrant, rural and other young people, who rely on online communities for connection, support and belonging, and be intentional about how we protect them online.

“We need to ask much harder questions of technology companies about their product design, algorithms, content moderation and the safeguards they have in place to protect children.”

Building digital capability among mokopuna and the adults around them must remain a key part of any response, she says.

“Children and young people need the knowledge, skills and resilience to navigate online environments safely throughout their lives. Restricting access alone will not prepare them for the digital world they will eventually enter. Education programmes that help children and their families navigate the threats, and access help and support when they need it, are going to be key.”

Ms Searle says improving online safety now and into the future will require an ongoing collective effort from government, communities, schools, families and the technology sector.

“As this bill progresses through Parliament, I'll be looking closely at the evidence behind the proposal, how it will operate in practice, how it affects children and young people, and how this will be measured over time.”

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Children's Commissioner Jane Searle is available for interviews.
Please contact: Melissa Wastney 029 909 2715

Children’s Commissioner Jane Searle is the independent advocate for all children under the age of 18 in Aotearoa New Zealand and children and young people under 25 who have been in or who are in care and/or custody. As Children’s Commissioner, Jane leads the team at Mana Mokopuna – Children’s Commissioner, an independent Crown entity.