News Corp’s campaign that uncovered ugly online reality

News Corp’s Let Them Be Kids campaign played a pivotal role in convincing politicians to act on the damage caused by tech platforms to young people.

News Corp’s Let Them Be Kids campaign played a leading role in pushing the discussion around the damage caused by tech platforms to young people – with that reporting now set to result in seismic changes to online laws.

Reporting included polling compiled for the campaign which exposed the depth of the problem, with a survey of more than 3000 social media users showing 70 per cent of teens had had a negative experience on social media.

One in three teens have been exposed to disturbing or traumatic content, while one in four reported being cyberbullied or sexually harassed online, according to the survey.

Alarmingly, one in 10 said they had been a victim of revenge porn.

A change.org petition launched by News Corp calling for a raise in the age of social media consumption has already received more than 53,000 signatures. Photo: iStock

A change.org petition launched by News Corp in May and calling for support for raising the age of social media to 16 has also received more than 53,000 signatures.

Amid the campaign came the establishment of a federal inquiry into social media, with News Corp bringing a contingent of affected parents and academics to Canberra who met with politicians to tell their heartbreaking stories.

Sensing the public sentiment, the global head of safety for Meta Antigone Davis travelled to Australia to appear before the committee, and attempted to push responsibility on to other tech platforms.

Other major wins included the NSW Government committing to holding a social media summit with their South Australian counterparts, due to take place next month.

In an exclusive interview with The Daily Telegraph in June, the Prime Minister said this was one of the major issues being raised with him by parents in the community, and that he was committed to looking into it.

The campaign also triggered a commitment from the Coalition to raise the age of social media use to 16 within 100 days of being elected.

Originally published as News Corp’s campaign that uncovered ugly online reality