This announcement reflects legitimate concerns about children's safety online, but a ban of this scale would change how children access and experience the digital world. The UK Government must ensure that any decisions are informed by children themselves and by independent experts. We are concerned that a blanket ban may look protective on paper, but instead pushes children into less regulated spaces, where they are less likely to seek help when something goes wrong. Children growing up in poverty are likely to be among those most affected. If ministers want to make the online world safer, the answer is not simply keeping children off platforms. The focus must be on providing better support for parents by making platforms safer by design, tackling addictive and high-risk features such as stranger contact, live streaming, nudification tools and unsafe AI systems, so that children are not exposed to harm online.

Our hearts are heavy for those impacted by last night’s violence. We urgently call for calm. Children’s safety must be put first. No child should have to flee home terrified for their family’s safety. No child should fear playing on the street or going to their youth club. No young person should be lured into violence by those with divisive agendas. In this part of the world we know too well where violence leads; it scars childhoods, pits communities against each other and leaves a legacy of disadvantage and trauma for the next generation. Together we must ensure every child gets to live in peace and safety. #NorthernIreland @savechildren_ni