Social media star Lewis Leigh with his grandmother Phyllis
(Picture: Instagram )Ofcom has urged more children to blow the whistle on harmful online content as it joined forces with TikTok star Lewis Leigh to launch a campaign called “OnlyNans”.
The media regulator aims to encourage young people to report harmful content online that might offend their grandmothers because “nans are the best judges out there”.
Its call for children and young people to put pressure on social media giants to take down harmful material follows its research showing only a sixth of users who experienced it lodged complaints about it.
This was despite more than two thirds of those aged 13 to 24 encountering potentially harmful content that ranged from bullying, abusive behaviour and threats to scams, misinformation and trolling.
The name "OnlyNans" is a play on the online subscription service OnlyFans, an image-sharing platform known for hosting sexually explicit material.
It is the first move by Ofcom to get firms to clean up their act before the Government’s Online Safety Bill gives it the powers to start investigating all social media companies for potential breaches. Its regulatory reach currently only extends to video-sharing sites.
It will have powers to fine social media firms up to 10 per cent of their global turnover and shut down services if they fail to remove harmful content.
In addition, It will be able to prosecute executives who fail to hand over information or cooperate with investigations.
Anna-Sophie Harling, online safety principal at Ofcom, said: "As we prepare to take on our new role as online safety regulator, we’re already working with video sites and apps to make sure they’re taking steps to protect their users from harmful content.
“Our campaign is designed to empower young people to report harmful content when they see it, and we stand ready to hold tech firms to account on how effectively they respond.”
Leigh rose to national prominence as a social influencer during lockdown with his viral TikTok videos showing him teaching his grandmother, Phyllis, dance moves.
"My generation has grown up using social media and it’s how I make a living. So although it’s mainly a positive experience and a place to bring people together and build communities, harmful content is something I come across all the time too," he said.
"That’s why it was important to team up with my lovely Nan for this campaign. Let’s face it, our nans are pretty much the best judges out there, and always give the best advice.
“So next time you’re scrolling through your phone and come across something you’re not quite sure about, ask yourself, ‘What would my nan think?’ If it’s a ‘no’ from nan then perhaps think about reporting it – because that really can make a difference.”
Behavioural psychologist Jo Hemmings, who is also working on the campaign, said: “With young people spending so much of their time online, the exposure to harmful content can unknowingly desensitise them to its hurtful impact.
“What is clear from the research is that while a potential harm experienced just once may have little negative impact, when experienced time and time again, these experiences can cause significant damage.
“Worryingly, nearly a third of 13-to-17-year-olds didn’t report potentially harmful content because they didn’t consider it bad enough to do something about. This risks a potentially serious issue going unchallenged.
“That is why I’m working with Ofcom to help encourage people to think about the content they or their children are being exposed to online, and report it when they do, so that the online world can be a safer space for everyone.”
