Online safety campaigners say Prime Minister favors tech giants over bereaved families

On Monday, a group of online safety advocates, represented by spokesperson Esther Ghey, publicly urged the Prime Minister to give equal weight to the testimonies of families who have suffered losses as to the positions of major technology corporations during the current review of digital protection measures, thereby framing the debate as one of balanced hearing rather than one-sided consultation.

The appeal followed a series of high‑profile meetings in which representatives of the leading platforms were invited to outline their self‑regulatory proposals, while bereaved relatives of victims of online‑mediated harm reported feeling marginalized and unheard, a circumstance that the campaigners argue reflects a systemic preference for industry voices.

Ghey emphasised that listening to grieving families is "equally important" to hearing industry arguments, suggesting that the policy process currently privileges corporate narratives at the expense of those directly affected by the shortcomings of the same platforms, and thereby risks codifying a partial viewpoint into law.

Critics note that the government's reliance on voluntary codes drafted by the companies raises questions about accountability, especially given the lack of a transparent mechanism for incorporating independent victim impact assessments into the drafting of legislation, a gap that the campaigners contend undermines the credibility of any forthcoming safeguards.

The campaigners warned that without such balance, any forthcoming legal framework is likely to replicate existing gaps, thereby perpetuating a systemic failure to protect vulnerable users while allowing platform operators to evade substantive responsibility, a scenario that would render the announced reforms little more than symbolic gestures.

Observers point out that the pattern of consulting industry first and civil society later reflects a broader institutional habit of deferential engagement with well‑resourced stakeholders, a habit that this latest demand seeks to expose and correct before the next round of statutory reform is finalized, lest the process become a predictable exercise in confirming the status quo.

Published: April 27, 2026