Social Media

Children as young as 8 viewing harmful online content as companies ‘not policing’ age restrictions

A new survey has found one in five 8-12 year-olds have seen something online that they ‘wouldn’t want their parents to know about’

Emer Higgins says new regulations for online platforms will only work if the companies engage properly. Picture: Collins Photos

Social media platforms are not adequately policing the age of children using their services, a government TD has said.

Emer Higgins, the Fine Gael spokeswoman on social media, said a new study about the number of children viewing inappropriate material online showed the need for regulation.

The survey by CyberSafeKids, an online safety charity, was carried out from September to January in collaboration with the National Parents Council.

The survey of 8-12 year olds in ...