New research by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) found that 3 in 4 parents worry their child doesn’t know how to stay safe online – but most parents rarely, if ever, bring it up with them. Today’s online risks are more advanced than ever. One wrong click can expose details about what a child likes, who they are talking to and how they’re feeling. That information can stick around online forever and be used by bad actors.
The ICO’s research paints a pretty alarming picture. Is parental concern about online safety justified – or is this just moral panic?
This isn’t just panic – there is a real gap between what parents think is happening and what’s actually happening on their children’s devices. So the concern is absolutely justified, and the data backs it up. Norton’s Connected Kids research found that while 85% of UK parents are actively managing screen time, more than half say their child has found a way to bypass those rules entirely. And once past those boundaries, children aren’t just watching YouTube videos. We’ve seen 18% of parents catch their children accessing content they thought they’d blocked, 12% discover their child had been watching explicit content, and 11% find their child had shared personal information with a stranger.
Are they more tech-savvy than we think? How are kids getting around the controls parents put in place?
In many cases, yes. As a mother of two, I have noticed that my tech-savvy children are navigating online spaces faster than I am sometimes. Kids chat to their friends, share workarounds with each other, use secondary devices, change settings, or simply wait until a parent isn’t watching. Parental controls can create a false sense of security if parents assume that setting them up once means the job is done. The reality is that no technical control is absolutely watertight. They’re a useful first layer, but relying on them alone won’t solve the problem. Children are curious by nature, and that curiosity, combined with digital fluency, means they will often find a way around a restriction.
Beyond inappropriate content, what are the emerging online risks that parents might not be thinking about?
AI is reshaping the online landscape in ways that are easy to miss. Parents have started noticing their children turning to AI tools not just for homework help, but for companionship and emotional support – and that raises a set of risks that didn’t exist even a few years ago. Our data shows that more than 80% of cybercrime today relies on exploiting human emotions – curiosity, urgency, trust. Those tactics are just as effective on a 13-year-old as they are on a 40-year-old. Scammers and bad actors look for vulnerability, and young people who haven’t been taught to recognise the signs are easy targets.
Interestingly, 39% of UK parents do see an upside to AI. They believe it’s genuinely beneficial for their children’s learning and creativity. That’s probably right. But the risks need to be part of that conversation too.
If restrictions aren’t the full answer, what actually works?
What works is building resilience, not just barriers. The goal should be to raise children who can navigate the internet safely on their own. That starts with conversation, and it starts early. Talk to your children about what they’re doing online, who they’re talking to, and what to do if something doesn’t feel right. Help them to recognise the signs of cyberbullying, scams, AI manipulation, or predatory behaviour.
Parental control tools will always have a role – they’re useful for monitoring activity and creating healthy digital boundaries, but they work best when they’re part of a wider approach that includes trust, transparency, and ongoing conversation. The goal isn’t to limit children’s online experiences, but to help them engage with the digital world safely and confidently.
What’s your one piece of practical advice for a parent who feels completely out of their depth with all of this?
Don’t try to know everything. Technical safeguards – like parental controls and filters – will always have their place, but they’re only part of the picture. What matters more than being the most tech-literate person in the house is making sure your child knows they can come to you if something goes wrong. Children are more likely to flag something worrying if they’ve already learned that those conversations are safe to have. The biggest risk is a child who feels they have to deal with something unsafe online alone.
