As millions of children begin their summer holidays and spend more time online, research from Virgin Media O2 and Internet Matters reveals parents and carers have significant concern about the threat AI poses to their children.

Three quarters (75 per cent) of parents surveyed say they’re worried about the dangers of AI-generated deepfake audio and video, and more than a third (36 per cent) consider them to be more of a threat than cyberbullying, hate speech and violent content.

Hidden Risks Research

Virgin Media O2 and Internet Matters’ Hidden Risks research surveyed more than 4,000 UK parents and carers of children and found there’s a lack of understanding about how to protect their kids when using the internet.

More than a quarter (26 per cent) of parents and guardians surveyed say they aren’t confident in protecting their children from deepfakes or other AI risks, with almost a fifth (19 per cent) noting they ‘don’t know’ what deepfakes are, and 24 per cent unsure of the potential threat deep fakes pose to their children. Almost half (45 per cent) don’t know how to update privacy settings on social media, and a further half (50 per cent) are unable to change passwords to protect their children’s safety online.  

Of the threats posed by AI and deep fakes, 59 per cent parents surveyed were worried that fake images or content would be used to bully their children, with 58 per cent saying they’re concerned their children will be traumatised because of fake images of gore, violence or sexual content.

Less than half of parents surveyed (42 per cent) speak to their children about how to stay safe online, with almost a third (29 per cent) saying it’s because their kids know more about technology than they do. Almost half (48 per cent) said they want more support to keep their kids safe online.

Find the Right Words Campaign 

In response, Virgin Media O2 and Internet Matters are launching the Find the Right Words campaign to help parents and guardians talk to their children about online safety. It aims to empower parents so they can navigate difficult conversations about online safety and educate themselves about threats.

To further help parents and carers of children and young people, Virgin Media O2 and Internet Matters, in partnership with children’s charity, Action for Children, and digital inclusion charity, Good Things Foundation, have created new, free guides to help families stay safe online. The guides provide advice for adults on how to have conversations with children and young people about staying safe online, and information about online safety tools and controls. The resources are available via a dedicated internet safety page on the Virgin Media O2 website. Furthermore, Action for Children and Good Things Foundation will share the resources through their extensive UK-wide networks to reach parents and carers of children across the country.

The campaign is being extensively shared with millions of Virgin Media and O2 customers with the Find the Right Words film being broadcast on Virgin TV over the summer holidays, and via emails and social media. It forms part of Virgin Media O2’s sustainability strategy, the Better Connections Plan, and the company’s aim to improve the digital skills of six million people by the end of 2025.

Nicola Green, Chief Communications & Corporate Affairs Officer at Virgin Media O2, said: “As we head into the summer holidays – a period when we know children and young people are more likely to be online – we want to support parents and carers to have conversations about online safety. We know they’re not only worried about online harms like deepfakes, cyberbullying or inappropriate images or videos, but also unsure how to talk to their kids about it. With Virgin Media O2’s Find the Right Words campaign, we’re providing parents and guardians with the guidance, resources and support they need to take positive actions, like having open discussions about online safety with their children, and how to implement online safety controls. We’re proudly partnering with online safety experts, Internet Matters, and leading charities, Action for Children, and Good Things Foundation, to create a campaign that resonates with and reaches parents and carers across the UK.”

Carolyn Bunting MBE, Co-CEO at Internet Matters, added: “As technology evolves, so do the challenges that parents face in keeping their children safe online. This research reveals there is a significant gap in knowledge and confidence among parents when it comes to protecting their children from such emerging online threats. We are proud to have collaborated on the ‘Find the Right Words’ campaign with Virgin Media O2. Equipping parents with the tools and resources they need to have meaningful conversations with their children about online safety has truly never been more important. It’s never too early to start these discussions, and together, we aim to help families navigate the digital world with greater confidence and security.”

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Categories: AI, Articles, Consumer Behaviour, Research, Social Media

Tags: AI, deepfake, virgin media 02