Schools leading new drive to put students’ voices at the centre of online-safety reform

A Welsh politician is spearheading a drive to ensure young people’s voices shape the future of online safety, with schools playing a central role in the campaign.

Through a series of Online Safety Act Young People’s Forums with Year 10 and Year 12 students, Clwyd North MP Gill German is gathering direct insights into the risks teenagers face online—from bullying and harmful content to AI-driven misinformation—and ensuring their experiences inform future policy.

The initiative comes as major new provisions of the Online Safety Act came into force last summer, bringing in strict age-verification requirements, tougher child-safety duties for online platforms, and new powers for Ofcom to hold tech companies to account.

A former teacher and Denbighshire Cabinet Member for Education, Children and Families, she launched her first school-based sessions this term at Ysgol Glan Clwyd in St Asaph and Ysgol Eirias in Colwyn Bay. She will survey all Year 10 and Year 12 pupils in Clwyd North in early 2025, followed by more school forums in the spring to explore the findings.

The work will contribute to a UK-wide group of MPs driving improvements under the Act.

“As someone who has worked with young people my whole life, this is deeply personal to me,” said Gill.
“Some of the biggest risks facing our children today are not visible, they’re happening online, on apps and devices, away from the adults who care about them.
“We need to hear directly from young people about what’s really going on, and we need to act on it.”

The forums give pupils a safe, structured space to speak openly about the pressures and dangers they encounter online. Early discussions have highlighted concerns over harmful content, the speed at which bullying spreads on social media, privacy worries and the growing challenge of AI-generated disinformation.

Gill added: “The honesty and maturity the pupils showed was remarkable. They were clear that social media platforms must step up via stronger age checks, clearer reporting systems, better safeguards and real accountability.
“Young people are navigating an online world that changes by the week, and they want proper digital literacy support for themselves and their families.”

A detailed survey launching in January will reach thousands of pupils across Clwyd North, giving every student the chance to shape the next stage of the campaign. Results will be shared with schools in March through follow-up forums, with local insights feeding into national discussions involving Ofcom and other MPs, alongside organisations such as the Molly Rose Foundation and the Internet Watch Foundation.

Selected pupils will also be invited to the House of Commons in the summer to present their recommendations.

“This campaign is about empowering young people, but it’s also about bringing schools, families, communities and policymakers together,” said Gill.
“Education in Wales is devolved, but online safety is much broader than the curriculum. It’s about safeguarding and wellbeing. Our schools are already doing outstanding work, and this project builds on that.
“I want this campaign to be part of my legacy as MP. Nothing matters more than the safety and future of our children, and their voices must guide the changes we make.”