Toxic content: government launches campaign to help parents talk to children

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology has launched the 'You Won't Know until You Ask' campaign to give parents guidance on talking about harmful online content, after research found half of UK parents report never having had that conversation with their children.

The government has launched a new awareness campaign called 'You Won't Know until You Ask' to help parents talk with their children about harmful online content. The campaign provides guidance on safety settings, conversation prompts and age-appropriate advice, and is being introduced alongside a National Conversation and a forthcoming consultation on children's digital wellbeing. Government officials said the move responds to parents asking for more practical support. Marketing activity for the campaign will begin in two pilot regions in mid-February. Key details: - The campaign was announced on 10 February by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and is intended to give parents practical tools to start conversations about online material. - New government-commissioned polling found about half of UK parents say they have never spoken with their children about harmful online content. - Academic research cited by the government reported that social media algorithms can increase exposure to harmful material for teenage test accounts. - A three-month formal consultation on children's digital wellbeing will open in the coming weeks, and pilot marketing activity is scheduled to start in Yorkshire and the Midlands on 16 February. Summary: Officials say the campaign offers immediate, research-backed support for parents while the government seeks wider input through a National Conversation and a formal consultation. The short-term step is a regional pilot of marketing activity and the next formal step is the three-month consultation that will invite further views.