SafeOnline UK
We are a free digital safety resource for families, young people across the UK. Our aim is to make expert-level online safety guidance accessible to every parent — regardless of their technical confidence — and to every child, in language that actually makes sense to them.
"Every child deserves to grow up online with the confidence to stay safe, the knowledge to recognise harm, and a trusted adult they feel they can tell."
The problem we're trying to solve
The online safety landscape changes faster than most parents can keep up with. New platforms emerge, old risks evolve, and the gap between what children experience online and what their parents know about is growing every year.
Ofcom found that 72% of parents feel underprepared when it comes to protecting their child online. Not because they don't care — but because the resources that exist are either too technical, too alarming, or too out of date to be useful.
SafeOnline UK was built to be different. Plain language. Practical tools. Warm, non-judgmental guidance. And everything updated regularly so parents can trust what they read here.
What makes us different
- All content sourced from UK statutory bodies and peer-reviewed research
- No advertising, no commercial relationships with platforms
- Written for real parents, not policy professionals
- Separate sections for children that speak directly to them
- Updated quarterly — more frequently when new risks emerge
- Completely free — no paywalls, no sign-ups required
Our values
No blame, ever
Children who experience something harmful online are never at fault. Parents who don't know every setting on every app are not bad parents. Our content is written to empower, not to shame. This principle runs through every page on this site.
Evidence first
Every risk we describe, every statistic we cite, every recommendation we make is grounded in research from UK statutory bodies, established charities, or peer-reviewed academic sources. We publish our citations so you can check our work.
Conversation over surveillance
The most effective thing a parent can do is keep the conversation open — not monitor every message. Our guides consistently prioritise trust, communication, and relationship over technical controls, even though we provide both.
Always current
Online safety guidance that's two years old may as well be from another era. We review every guide on a rolling quarterly schedule, and update immediately when significant new risks or legal changes emerge — such as the Online Safety Act 2023.
Accessible to everyone
This site is free, has no sign-up requirement, meets WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility standards, and is designed to work on low-end mobile devices. Online safety guidance should not be a luxury. We also avoid jargon wherever possible.
Community not surveillance
We do not collect unnecessary data. We do not track children. We do not share data with advertising networks. Our email alerts are a service, not a marketing tool. What you share with us stays with us — and we collect as little as possible.
Our editorial standards
We endeavour to use strong sources
Where possible, statistics and claims are drawn from established UK bodies — Ofcom, the NSPCC, CEOP, the Children's Commissioner, the ICO, the Internet Watch Foundation — or peer-reviewed academic research. We try to link to original sources so you can read further if you'd like to. In a rapidly evolving field, not every claim will have a direct citation, and we may occasionally draw on well-regarded secondary reporting when primary data isn't available. If you spot something that looks wrong or unsourced, please let us know — we take corrections seriously.
We publish a last-updated date on every guide
Every topic guide shows its last review date. If a guide hasn't been reviewed in the last 12 months, we flag it clearly. Platform settings guides are reviewed whenever a platform makes significant changes to its interface or privacy options.
We do not accept advertising or platform partnerships
No platform pays us to feature their safety tools. No advertiser pays us to promote a product. Our platform settings guides and risk assessments are independent assessments — positive or critical — based solely on available evidence.
We write for the people we're trying to help
Every guide is tested for readability against the WCAG reading level guidelines. Children's sections are written at an appropriate reading age and reviewed for tone. Parent guides are written to be readable on a phone in under 10 minutes. Educator resources are written to be usable in a classroom without additional research.
We flag uncertainty clearly
Where evidence is limited, contested, or rapidly evolving — as is common in the emerging field of AI companion safety — we say so. We do not overstate certainty to create alarm. We believe parents make better decisions with accurate, nuanced information than with exaggerated warnings.
Our primary sources
Ofcom
Media use & attitudes researchChildren's Commissioner
Annual childhood & digital reportsNSPCC
Child protection research & dataCEOP
Child exploitation threat assessmentsICO
Children's Code & data regulationInternet Watch Foundation
Online CSAM data & removalInternet Matters
Platform-specific safety guidanceNHS / CNWL
Screen time & gaming disorder💚 A note on transparency
SafeOnline UK is a free public resource. We do not charge for access, we do not run advertising, and we do not have commercial relationships with any of the platforms we review.
Our threat alerts email list is used only to send updates when new risks or significant changes emerge. We do not use it for any other purpose, and we do not share it with third parties. You can unsubscribe at any time.
If you spot an error, an outdated link, or a piece of guidance you think needs revisiting, please get in touch. We take corrections seriously and will update guides promptly when mistakes are identified.
We'd love to hear from you
Whether you've spotted something that needs updating, want to suggest a topic, or have a press enquiry — we're here.
Get in touch →