‘We owe our children’: Grieving parents say social media costs lives

The boss of Ofcom, the UK’s communications regulator, says the new proposed measures announced today mark “a big moment” for online safety.

Dame Melanie Dawes says the codes are needed to tackle harmful content that young people are being “fed” online, adding that that practice had become “normalised”.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Dawes says tech companies will now be required to look at their services and outline the risks to young people.

Pressed on whether that meant companies were being “allowed to mark their own homework”, she says Ofcom would be doing the marking in a transparent manner.

We’ll be bringing you more of what Dawes has to say on the new safeguards when she speaks to BBC Breakfast alongside bereaved parents shortly.