- government launches campaign to raise awareness of how harmful body-shaming, rage bait and misogynistic content on social media is, as part of drive to encourage parents to talk with their children about online content
- new online guidance supports parents in setting safety settings for social media and starting difficult conversations on topics such as misinformation and harmful content
- comes as new research reveals half of parents admit not speaking to their children about harmful online content
The Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology (DSIT) has today (Tuesday 10 February) launched the ‘You Won’t Know until You Ask’ campaign, providing parents with practical support they can use immediately and the confidence they need to have a conversation with their children about the content they see online.
Backed by behavioural research and academic insights, new guidance has been made available to parents on safety settings, conversation prompts, and age-appropriate advice for tackling misinformation and harmful content – including ragebait and misogynistic content.
It comes as a direct response to parents who have been calling out for support on how to navigate their children’s use of social media. New government-commissioned research released today shows that half of British parents admit having never spoken to their children about harmful online content, despite 90% of 11-year-olds now owning a smartphone.
In a poll of over one thousand UK parents, most said they feel confident they understand online platforms – yet a quarter felt they don’t know what their child is seeing.
Over half of British parents also said they haven’t come across any resources to help them navigate these conversations. Nearly 3-quarters of parents have said they would feel comfortable correcting misinformation if properly equipped.
Whilst the campaign provides immediate support for parents, this launches alongside a National Conversation and consultation on children’s digital wellbeing, with the government engaging directly with parents and children across the country to shape longer-term measures.
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said
I know many parents are worried about what their children see and do online – often out of sight, and at times beyond their control.
We’re launching a new campaign to support parents and give them practical tools to have regular, open conversations with their children about what they see and how they interact online.
We are determined to give children the childhood they deserve and prepare them for the future. That is why we are supporting parents with this campaign and launching a consultation on how young people can live and thrive in the age of social media.
The hub encourages parents to explore the internet together with their children and ask open questions, such as “How does this post make you feel?”, “Who shared this content?” and “Why do you think they posted it?”.
Evidence shows boys are particularly at risk of being algorithmically served misogynistic and harmful content, often without seeking it out. The campaign’s emphasis on building critical thinking skills is designed to help parents talk openly about this kind of material before harmful attitudes take root.
The campaign has been developed with expert organisations including Parent Zone and Internet Matters.
Marketing activity, including TV ads and social media content on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, will launch in Yorkshire and the Midlands on 16 February.
The 2 regions have been selected as pilots as they contain a representative sample of the target audience, with broadly similar media literacy skills to the rest of the country so meaningful insights can be gained if the government plans to roll out the campaign more widely.
Dr Kaitlyn Regehr, Associate Professor of Digital Humanities at UCL, said
Solving this issue requires a multi-pronged approach regulation, moderation and education. This education-focussed campaign seeks to empower parents and supports collective communication over isolation, ultimately resulting in more intentional choices about screen usage.
Vicki Shotbolt, CEO of ParentZone, said
We understand how challenging it can be for parents to try to navigate a really complex digital world with their children. The most effective way to do it is with a combination of age appropriate boundaries, user empowerment tools and ongoing, open communication. That’s why this campaign to encourage regular, open conversations is so important.
Will Gardner OBE, UK Safer Internet Centre Director, official organiser of Safer Internet Day said
Today is Safer Internet Day, and it is great to see the launch of the Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology awareness campaign coinciding with this national opportunity for conversations about online safety. This year, following conversations with young people, Safer Internet Day focusses on the safe and responsible use of AI and its adoption into our everyday lives.
Today, we have published research which shows how young people are excited by this incredible technology and are using it more than ever across many online services, but they still have concerns, questions and want to learn more to equip themselves to use AI safely and responsibly. Thousands of schools and other organisations are taking part in and supporting Safer Internet Day, and we hope the day kickstarts conversations in classrooms and homes around the UK and helps young people be better supported when it comes to online safety.
Internet Matters CEO Rachel Huggins said
Parents and carers are children’s main source of information about online safety and who they turn to when something goes wrong online. Yet we know that parents often struggle to have conversations about difficult topics like misogyny and hate speech, despite children coming across this content online. That’s why it is so important we equip parents to talk with their children about their online experiences. This campaign gives parents practical tools to start those conversations, and support their children to develop critical thinking skills and make safer choices online.
The campaign launches in parallel to a National Conversation on children’s digital wellbeing, with ministers engaging directly with parents and children across the country to shape longer-term measures.
A 3-month formal consultation will open in the coming weeks, including an opportunity for children to contribute directly.
This work builds on progress already delivered under the Online Safety Act 8 million people now access adult sites with age checks every day; visits to pornography sites have reduced by a third since rules came into force; and the proportion of children encountering age checks online has risen from 30% to 47%, and 58% of parents believe measures are already improving children’s safety.
New laws have been brought forward to criminalise the creation of non-consensual intimate images, including sexually explicit deepfakes. The government is also taking action to designate this offence as a priority under the Act, meaning platforms can be required to take proactive steps to prevent it from happening in the first place, not just react after the harm is done.
Further measures announced by the government will ban ‘nudification’ tools, criminalising those who design and supply them – ensuring those who profit from technology-enabled abuse face serious consequences.
This builds on the government’s wider mission to give every young person the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in work and life , including a new citizenship and RSHE (Relationships, Sex and Health Education) curriculum that will ensure every child can identify misinformation and disinformation from a young age.
Notes to editors
Parents can find full guidance, conversation starters and safety advice on the campaign website.
The Media Literacy Parent’s study was conducted by YouGov on behalf of DSIT. All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 1105 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 23 December 2025 to 4 January 2026. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB parents with children aged 8 to 14 years old. The research referenced in this release was conducted by University College London (UCL), in partnership with the University of Kent and the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL). The study combined interviews with young people and school leaders alongside an algorithmic modelling exercise on TikTok. Fieldwork involved creating test accounts representing teenage archetypes and reviewing recommended content over a period of 5 days. The study found a 4 fold increase in misogynistic content served to these accounts during this period.
Online Safety in 2025 summary of the technology sector’s response to UK’s online safety rules, Ofcom.
Research social media algorithms amplify misogynistic content to teens, University College London (UCL).
