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The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Children's Online Safety

The APPG on Children's Online Safety is committed to safeguarding children in the digital age. The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) performs the role of Secretariat to the Group.
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Contact the APPG on Children's Online Safety.
Vicky Ford MP
"Our children’s lives are increasingly online - it is how they socialise, play and make sense of the world. But as they navigate the internet, we cannot forever be by their side, protecting them from the many risks that arise in this unfettered digital space.
These risks can include threats to their mental health, such as bullying and exposure to issues related to suicide and self-harm, as well as being targeted by criminal gangs who prey on children and extort them for sexual images or money. In 2023, the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) discovered 275,652 webpages containing child sexual abuse - the highest number in its history. This underscores the urgent need for robust measures to safeguard children online, ensuring they can explore the digital world safely and without fear of harm.
It’s why I’m honoured to take on the role of Chair for the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Children's Online Safety, formerly the APPG on Online Safety on Social Media. The Group’s focus has now been adapted to address the broader challenges surrounding children’s online safety."

Gregor Poynton MP

Chair of the APPG on Children's Online Safety
Member of Parliament for Livingston, Labour Party
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History of the APPG

The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Online Safety and Social Media (hereafter ‘the APPG’) was established in March 2018 with the support Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH). In July 2020 the Secretariat for the APPG passed from the RSPH to the UK Safer Internet Centre (UKSIC).
On Monday 9 November 2020, the APPG launched its inquiry “Selfie Generation: What’s behind the rise in self-generated indecent images of children online?”. After hearing evidence from academics, charities, law enforcement and industry, the APPG published a report highlighting the increasing dangers of children being bullied or coerced into producing images or videos of their own sexual abuse by adult predators on the internet. The report set out 10 recommendations for the UK Government and the tech industry to adopt to safeguard children online.
In September 2024, the Secretariat passed to the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF). Against the backdrop of the Online Safety Act and the Government’s ambitions for artificial intelligence, the APPG serves as a parliamentary platform to examine the impact of these developments on children and young people. Consequently, it was rebranded as the Children's Online Safety APPG to reflect a broader focus on the challenges young people face in the digital world.
The parliamentary register for the APPG is available here.
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