More than 100 online child abuse crimes in Scotland every month Online Safety Bill delayed, NSPCC warns

• Charity urges next Prime Minister to keep the promise made to children and families and commit to passing Online Safety Bill as a national priority
• NSPCC say children will carry the considerable cost of further delay to social media regulation

More than 100 online sex crimes will take place against children in Scotland every month the Online Safety Bill is delayed, NSPCC research indicates.

The charity’s analysis of Police Scotland crime data found that online child sexual abuse offences had more than doubled over the last decade.

The data shows 1,298 Indecent Image offences and crimes of Communicating Indecently with a Child were logged in the year to March– up from 543 just ten years ago.

The NSPCC said the growth in crimes and the scale of abuse taking place against children should serve as a wake-up call for the next UK Prime Minister to make the Online Safety Bill a national priority.

The charity said it underlines the urgent need for Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak to commit to passing the legislation in full and without delay.

It warned the disturbing reality of delay is more children being groomed on their smartphones and tablets, being contacted by offenders in the summer holidays, and coerced into acts of online sexual abuse in their bedrooms.

The landmark Online Safety Bill was due to pass through the House of Commons last week but was postponed until at least the autumn when a new Prime Minister will be in place.

The NSPCC first secured the commitment to regulate social media four years ago in a bid to combat the inaction of Silicon Valley to abuse taking place against children on their platforms.

The legislation would put a duty of care on companies for their users and mean they would have to put measures in place to prevent and disrupt child abuse on their sites and protect children from harm.

The charity is concerned the delay could result in the Bill being watered down despite years of failed self-regulation by tech firms putting children at increased risk.

Frida*, who is a survivor of online abuse, said: “The abuse that I experienced started ten years ago when I was 13. It is sickening that since then the number of young people being abused online has grown dramatically.

“Being groomed has had a horrific impact on my life and I want no other young person to endure that. I know this delay to the Online Safety Bill will see more young people like me experience harm when it could have been prevented, and that is devastating.”

The NSPCC has written to both Conservative leadership candidates saying, ‘delay or watering down of the Bill will come at considerable cost to children and families. It would represent the reversal of an important manifesto commitment that commands strong levels of public support’.

YouGov research for the NSPCC found more than four fifths of UK adults think the Online Safety Bill should deliver strong and comprehensive measures to protect children from online child sexual abuse.

NSPCC Chief Executive, Sir Peter Wanless, said: “With every second the clock ticks by on the Online Safety Bill an ever-growing number of children and families face the unimaginable trauma of preventable child abuse.

“The need for legislation to protect children is clear, commands overwhelming support from MPs and the public and builds on the UK’s global leadership position in tackling harm online. Robust regulation can be delivered while protecting freedom of speech and privacy.

“There can be no more important mission for Government than to keep children safe from abuse and the next Prime Minister must keep the promise made to families in the election manifesto and deliver the Online Safety Bill as a national priority.”