Charity warns of rising levels of unrestricted online access for children

One third of the children surveyed said they have little to no restrictions on their behaviour online. Picture: Dominic Lipinski/PA

Tighter controls and stricter laws are required to compel social media companies and games makers to remove harmful content when it relates to children, an internet safety charity has said.

The call from CyberSafeKids comes as its new annual report highlights the rising levels, and in many cases, the unrestricted level of access many children under 12 have to smart devices, online access, social media, and messaging apps, despite age restrictions.