What the Online Safety Act is – and how to keep children safe online

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are also calling for stronger protection from the dangers of social media, saying “enough is not being done”.

They unveiled a temporary memorial in New York City dedicated to children who have died due to the harms of the internet. “We want to make sure that things are changed so that… no more kids are lost to social media,” Prince Harry told BBC Breakfast.

The NSPCC children’s charity argues that the law still doesn’t provide enough protection for private messaging apps. It says that the end-to-end encrypted services which they offer “continue to pose an unacceptable, major risk to children”.

On the other side, privacy campaigners complain the new rules threaten users’ freedom.

Some also argue age verification methods are invasive without being effective enough. Digital age checks can lead to “security breaches, privacy intrusion, errors, digital exclusion and censorship,” according to Silkie Carlo, director of Big Brother Watch.