Protecting Vulnerable People Online Must Remain a National Priority
Protecting Vulnerable People Online Must Remain a National Priority
My work on online safety began after a bereaved father came to one of my constituency advice surgeries and shared the devastating story his daughter, Hannah, ending her life following exposure to harmful online content and dangerous pro-suicide online forums.
Listening to the experiences of families affected by these harms has made it clear that this was not an isolated tragedy. Time and again, bereaved families were describing the same failures, the same online spaces, and the same inability to prevent vulnerable people from being exposed to deeply harmful content online.
After learning more about this issue, I could not overlook it.
Since then, I have been working closely with the Molly Rose Foundation, bereaved families, survivors and parliamentary colleagues from a variety of political parties to campaign for stronger protections online and meaningful enforcement against platforms that facilitate harm.
Over the past two years, this campaigning has included parliamentary speeches, Westminster Hall debates, cross-party letters to ministers and regulators, scrutiny of Ofcom’s enforcement approach, and direct engagement with Government departments on how vulnerable people can be better protected online.
In May 2025, I pressed the government on the role of the Home Office in preventing vulnerable young people from accessing materials to take their own lives in a series of written questions.
In November 2025, I participated in the Westminster Hall e-petition debate on the proportionality of penalties arising from social media posts, raising the impact of online suicide forums and the failure to properly police harmful online spaces to protect vulnerable people.
In that speech, I made it clear that these forums cannot simply be dismissed as issues of free expression: “The forum details methods, promotes poisonous substances, shares advice on bypassing UK regulations and even enables suicide pacts between strangers… That is not free speech… it is the deliberate facilitation of harm – fatal harm.”
In December 2025, during Department for Science, Innovation and Technology questions, I pressed ministers on the implementation and enforcement of the Online Safety Act following growing concerns around harmful online content and suicide forums.
Alongside parliamentary speeches, debates, and questions, I worked with colleagues across Parliament to build cross-party pressure for action.
In December 2025, MPs from across Parliament wrote directly to Ofcom urging the regulator to use the full powers available under the Online Safety Act, including fines and service disruption orders, to tackle dangerous online forums operating in the UK. The letter warned that continued delays in enforcement risked further lives being lost.
In February 2026, cross-party MPs, including myself and Darren Paffey, wrote to the Secretary of State following meetings between bereaved families and ministers. The letter highlighted concerns about the need for stronger cross-government coordination and offered support for further action to prevent future deaths.
In March 2026, I raised the issue directly with the Prime Minister during my first successfully secured Prime Minister’s Questions, highlighting the continued risks facing vulnerable people online, the repeated warnings issued by coroners, and the failure of Government departments to act quickly enough on those warnings.
During the exchange, I noted that the Molly Rose Foundation had identified at least 65 similar cases in which coroners had made recommendations to Government departments following deaths linked to harmful online content and suicide forums.
I also continued pressing for stronger cross-government coordination and for Prevention of Future Deaths reports to carry greater statutory weight, ensuring that repeated coroners’ warnings cannot simply be acknowledged and ignored without meaningful action being taken.
We are also continuing direct engagement with Government ministers. In June, our cross-party group will meet with Minister Kinnock as part of ongoing work to improve coordination across Government departments and ensure stronger protections for vulnerable people online.
Last week, Ofcom issued a £950,000 fine against the operator of an online forum linked to more than 130 deaths in the UK. Ofcom has also indicated that it is prepared to seek a court order to block access to the site in the UK should the provider fail to comply.
This marks one of the most significant uses of the Online Safety Act to date and represents an important step forward. However, there remains a great deal more to do.
This issue goes far beyond one website or one enforcement action. It is about recognising that online harms can have devastating real-world consequences and ensuring that regulation, enforcement and technology companies keep pace with the risks vulnerable people face online every day.
The courage shown by bereaved families in speaking publicly and campaigning for change has been extraordinary. Their determination has already helped push this issue higher up the national agenda, and I remain committed to supporting their efforts.
Protecting vulnerable people online must remain a national priority.