Alliance MP Sorcha Eastwood has warned that parents are “crying out for guardrails” to protect young people using social media, criticising the Government for being “out of touch” with growing concerns over online safety.
Ms Eastwood also hit out at Sir Keir Starmer’s decision to support the screening of the Netflix drama Adolescence in secondary schools, calling it a superficial response to a deeper issue. Speaking ahead of a backbench debate she is hosting on Thursday regarding the impact of digital platforms on UK democracy, the Lagan Valley MP insisted that urgent action is needed.
A growing crisis in online safety
Ms Eastwood argued that the lack of effective regulations governing social media usage is endangering young people.
“I think a lot of people have just resigned themselves to some sort of inevitability about this. In actual fact, our young people and certainly those who care for them—whether they’re carers, adults, or parents—are crying out for guardrails,” she told the PA news agency.
She expressed frustration that the Government has failed to introduce meaningful protections or revisit digital age of consent laws, stating:
“Certainly not having any protections, no laws, and not revisiting the age of consent is completely wrong. As far as I’m concerned, we know that it’s harmful. It is absolutely harmful. It’s damaging our young people. It’s damaging society.”
Legal action against Andrew Tate
Ms Eastwood is currently pursuing legal action against controversial social media influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate over posts made about her after she disclosed in the House of Commons that she was a “survivor of abuse” and had received rape threats.
Andrew Tate, who has previously been banned from platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook for hate speech and misogynistic comments, has been widely criticised for promoting harmful ideologies.
Ms Eastwood highlighted the influence of figures like the Tates on young people, stating that their followers have developed an entirely new vocabulary around harmful behaviour, including terms such as “lover boy” methods and “love bombing”.
“Young people now are operating in a sphere where it’s a different language, it’s a different way, and most older people would not understand it. If they can’t understand it, then they can’t deal with it,” she said.
“People like me, who are older, who do understand it, who can see it unfolding, and can see the absolute carnage it is causing in young people’s lives, are desperate for action. If there was a dashboard, every light on it would be red and the Government are just blind to the concerns.”
The Netflix debate: A ‘band-aid’ solution?
The Netflix drama Adolescence has sparked national debate for its depiction of incel (involuntary celibate) culture and online radicalisation. The Prime Minister recently endorsed the streaming service’s decision to make the series available for free in secondary schools across the UK.
However, Ms Eastwood dismissed the move as a sign of a Government that “wants to close its eyes and ears” to the real problem.
“This has been going on for such a long time. The Government responded by saying, ‘We will allow this programme to be shown in schools’ without any reference to the fact that we need to revisit the age of consent regarding digital platform usage.
“We need to immediately have financial sanctions for these companies that platform harmful and often criminal content. And yet, there’s absolutely no mention of legislation at all.”
Ms Eastwood also argued that the Online Safety Act, which was designed to tackle online harms, is not strong enough to hold tech companies accountable.
“It’s already clear that the Online Safety Act isn’t robust enough. These companies will only respond to what they understand, and that’s money. That’s cash. And that means hitting them where it hurts—right in the pocket.”
Financial sanctions and stricter regulation
Ms Eastwood called for additional taxes on what she described as “tech oligarchs,” criticising the Government for using online regulation as a “bargaining tool with the US” rather than prioritising children’s safety.
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“Nothing at all can be used to denigrate the rights of our children and young people, and yet that’s exactly what they’re doing,” she said.
She outlined three key actions she believes must be taken immediately:
- Revisiting digital age of consent laws – ensuring young people are adequately protected from harmful online content.
- Introducing financial sanctions on tech firms – penalising platforms that allow dangerous content to flourish.
- Implementing robust legislation – enforcing accountability measures to make these regulations effective.
“None of this will be enforceable or policeable without legislation,” she warned.
The future of online regulation
With growing concerns over online harms and the role of social media in shaping young minds, Ms Eastwood’s debate in Parliament is expected to intensify pressure on the Government to take decisive action.
As digital platforms continue to evolve, the question remains: will the Government step up to regulate them, or will parents and children be left to navigate these dangers alone?
