Event Report: Digital Inclusion and Online Safety & Navigation

On Wednesday 4th March 2026, the Digital Inclusion APPG held a roundtable session on Online Safety & Navigation. The event was hosted and chaired by Chair of the Digital Inclusion APPG Dan Aldridge MP.

Digital Inclusion APPG Chair Dan Aldridge MP opened the session by welcoming and thanking speakers and attendees for joining the roundtable. He began by reflecting on the changing nature of the role of MPs, noting that it has become increasingly locally focused in recent years. While he welcomed this shift, he suggested that it has reduced the time available to engage with national policy issues, making discussions such as this particularly valuable.

He emphasised the importance of collaboration in navigating what he described as an increasingly complex policy landscape, shaped both by domestic priorities and wider global challenges. In this context, he stressed that building strong relationships with trusted partners across sectors was essential. Addressing attendees, he noted that their contributions were highly valued and that meaningful progress in this space depended on collective and coordinated action.

Highlighting the importance of engagement, Dan encouraged participants to act as “agents of change” within their respective networks. He drew particular attention to the ongoing consultation on online safety, urging attendees to contribute and to encourage input from their communities, organisations and wider networks. Reflecting on his own experience as a member of the Business and Trade Select Committee, he noted that such submissions are taken seriously and can directly inform policymaking.

He also stressed the need to foster a more informed and constructive debate around online safety, warning that the issue risks becoming increasingly polarised or drawn into broader “culture war” dynamics if not addressed proactively. He emphasised that discussions in this space should focus on the role of technology in driving positive social outcomes, rather than becoming overly politicised in a partisan sense.

Turning to the focus of the session, Dan highlighted the importance of examining the intersection between online safety and digital inclusion. He noted that much of the public debate tends to focus on high-profile issues, while overlooking the underlying infrastructure and practical barriers that shape individuals’ experiences online. He emphasised that these foundational issues must be better understood and addressed in order to make meaningful progress.

He also drew attention to the challenges faced by marginalised groups, particularly older individuals, many of whom he noted had become increasingly disengaged from digital services. At the same time, he contrasted this with the high levels of digital fluency among younger people, suggesting that simplistic policy solutions - such as outright bans on social media - risk underestimating their ability to adapt and circumvent restrictions.

Finally, he highlighted the growing role of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, noting both the opportunities they present and the increasingly political context in which they are being debated. He suggested that consideration should be given to how such technologies can be harnessed across both the public and private sectors to promote safer and more inclusive online experiences.

Chris Ashworth OBE, Head of Social Impact at Nominet, opened his remarks by thanking Dan Aldridge MP and reflecting on the significance and complexity of the topic. He noted that within the digital inclusion space, there has long been a strong emphasis on encouraging access and participation, yet there is now an increasing tension between inclusion and the need to protect individuals from online harms. This, he suggested, highlights the fundamentally neutral nature of technology, with outcomes shaped instead its systems, actors and structures.

Providing an overview of Nominet’s role, Chris explained that the organisation plays an important role in maintaining the safety and resilience of the UK’s digital infrastructure. He also referenced wider work around child harms and emerging forms of abuse, suggesting that these debates increasingly sit alongside digital inclusion rather than apart from it.

On digital inclusion, Chris emphasised that exclusion is often closely linked to lower levels of digital and media literacy. He noted that, historically, efforts in this space have focused on building skills, confidence and safe engagement through grassroots initiatives. However, he suggested that the current landscape represents a shift in approach, with growing public concern about online safety reshaping the conversation around digital participation.

Referencing recent developments in artificial intelligence, he expressed concern about the misuse of these technologies, including the rapid production of harmful and non-consensual content. Such developments, he argued, are contributing to a broader societal shift in attitudes, where individuals are increasingly questioning whether it is safe to engage online at all. This marks a significant change from previous narratives, which primarily emphasised the benefits of being online.

Chris suggested that the digital inclusion sector must adapt to a new reality in which safety and harm prevention are core considerations. He stressed that individuals are often most vulnerable at the early stages of their digital inclusion journey, particularly where digital skills and literacy are limited. As a result, there is a growing responsibility not only to enable access, but also to ensure that individuals can engage safely and confidently.

He also pointed to ongoing work with Ofcom and the importance of integrating digital inclusion with broader efforts around critical thinking and community development. However, he suggested that the increasing sophistication of online risks such as financial scams, falsified content and manipulated media pose new risks to users in online spaces. Chris concluded by emphasising the complexity of the issue and the need for continued discussion and collaboration across sectors to develop effective and sustainable solutions.

Tom Moule, Senior AI Specialist at Jisc outlined the organisation’s perspective on artificial intelligence and its growing relevance to online safety and digital inclusion. He noted that the ability to use AI effectively and responsibly is becoming an increasingly important component of being able to navigate the online world safely, particularly as AI tools become embedded in everyday life for students, educators and the wider workforce.

Drawing on recent research conducted by Jisc into student perceptions of generative AI, Tom highlighted that while many students recognised the benefits of AI, there were also significant concerns. These included risks around bias, misinformation, over-reliance, de-skilling and potential job losses. He suggested that if these risks are not addressed, there is a danger that anxiety and inertia could develop, both within the education sector and more broadly across society.

In response, Tom outlined Jisc’s strategic approach to AI, centred around the development of knowledge, skills and organisational culture to enable safe and effective use of artificial intelligence. He emphasised the importance of improving general understanding of AI, alongside building context-specific skills that allow individuals to use the technology responsibly. A key component of this, he noted, is understanding how artificial intelligence and human intelligence complement one another, and how this relationship can be navigated safely.

Tom also stressed the importance of adopting a collaborative and supportive approach to AI adoption, rather than a top-down or punitive model. He suggested that strong leadership would be essential in shaping how AI is used across schools, colleges and universities, including communicating a clear vision, promoting accountability and leading by example. He concluded by noting that this strategic framework aims to support individuals to engage with artificial intelligence confidently and safely, with lessons that could also apply to wider society.

Natalie Jubb, representing the Digital Poverty Alliance, began by thanking Dan Aldridge MP and the APPG for the opportunity to contribute. She reflected on her involvement in the digital inclusion space, noting that she had first engaged with the APPG several years earlier, and welcomed the continued focus on these issues. She also shared her personal experience of growing up with low access to technology, explaining that this had shaped her perspective on digital exclusion and reinforced the importance of ensuring that digital access and safety are considered together.

Natalie emphasised that access represents the point of entry to the digital world, rather than the end of the digital inclusion journey. She noted that individuals who have limited access to digital tools and services are often expected to make complex judgments about online content and safety without sufficient skills or support. This, she suggested, can increase vulnerability, particularly for those who are already isolated or experiencing other forms of disadvantage.

She argued that limited access, skills and support not only exclude individuals from opportunities but can also leave them more exposed to online harms when they do attempt to engage. As such, she stressed that online safety education and awareness must be designed with vulnerable users in mind, ensuring that guidance is accessible, practical and able to reach those most in need.

Natalie welcomed the Digital Inclusion Action Plan, describing it as an important step in bringing together conversations around inclusion, safety and navigation. However, she emphasised that these priorities must translate into tangible solutions that individuals can recognise and benefit from. She also highlighted the importance of building clear and accessible support systems, including trusted guidance and routes to assistance when individuals encounter potential harm online.

Turning to artificial intelligence, Natalie stressed that systems must be designed in ways that allow individuals to navigate them safely and confidently. She noted that where users are unable to distinguish between real and misleading content, confidence in digital technologies risks being undermined. She also referenced work by Internet Matters on harmful systems, emphasising the need for platforms and developers to take greater responsibility for mitigating risks, particularly for vulnerable users.

Natalie concluded by stressing that individuals experiencing digital exclusion must be placed at the centre of policymaking and service design. She argued that too often solutions are developed without sufficient input from those most affected, and emphasised that improving outcomes requires listening directly to vulnerable communities and ensuring their experiences inform future approaches.

Nancy Doyle-Hall, Executive Director of the Virgin Money Foundation, then spoke about the organisation’s grant funding work and the insights it has gathered from supporting communities experiencing digital poverty. She explained that the Foundation currently focuses its funding on tackling digital exclusion in areas of high deprivation. Through this work, she noted, the Foundation has observed a strong interplay between vulnerability and digital exclusion.

Nancy highlighted two key themes emerging from the Foundation’s work: low literacy levels - beyond digital literacy alone - and the experiences of women and girls, particularly those facing vulnerability or abuse. To illustrate this, she shared the example of a woman supported by the organisation A Way Out in Stockton-on-Tees, which works with women and girls who have experienced exploitation and abuse.

She explained that the individual required support to access and manage essential digital services, including setting up online banking, creating an email address and changing her mobile phone number. Although she had access to both devices and connectivity, her digital exclusion stemmed from limited digital skills combined with vulnerability to exploitation. Nancy noted that, prior to receiving support, the woman’s wages had been accessed and withdrawn by family members, highlighting the risks that can arise where digital skills and personal vulnerability intersect.

Following support from the organisation, Nancy explained that the individual was not only safer online but also safer offline, for example through being able to access transport information and plan journeys more safely. She added that similar patterns were emerging across other organisations, particularly in relation to women and girls experiencing forms of abuse. Examples included children inadvertently sharing location data through mobile devices or photo-sharing applications, demonstrating how basic digital skills can have significant safety implications.

Nancy emphasised that a key learning from the Foundation’s work is that, regardless of the systems or technologies introduced, trusted person-to-person support remains essential. She suggested that effective digital inclusion efforts do not necessarily require technical specialists, but rather trusted individuals within communities who can provide practical, accessible support. She concluded by highlighting the importance of strengthening and funding community-based organisations already working on the frontline, noting that these trusted relationships are critical to improving digital safety and inclusion outcomes.

Helen Milner OBE, Chief Executive of the Good Things Foundation, began by agreeing with the points raised by Nancy Doyle-Hall, emphasising the importance of trusted, community-based support. She highlighted that the Good Things Foundation works with over 8,000 partners across the UK, providing personalised, face-to-face support to individuals experiencing digital exclusion. This, she noted, often involves addressing a range of barriers, including lack of skills, confidence and broader vulnerabilities.

Helen stressed that this bottom-up approach is central to effective digital inclusion, pointing to the National Digital Inclusion Network as a key asset in supporting individuals where they are, and tailoring assistance to their specific needs. She outlined examples of how this support is delivered in practice, including online safety training embedded within everyday activities such as shopping, banking and socialising online. She also highlighted the organisation’s AI Gateway initiative, which aims to introduce individuals to artificial intelligence in a safe and accessible way, building confidence and understanding alongside practical skills.

However, Helen emphasised that bottom-up support alone is not sufficient, and that top-down action is also required. She raised concerns about the current regulatory environment, suggesting that stronger leadership, legislation and enforcement may be needed to ensure a safer online environment. In particular, she questioned whether regulators such as Ofcom were currently fulfilling their intended role and highlighted the need for more comprehensive education and awareness efforts.

Drawing on international experience, Helen referenced work by Good Things Foundation Australia. She suggested that recent policy debates, including social media restrictions, had helped to drive greater attention to online safety issues. However, she emphasised that discussions should not focus solely on children but instead consider the need for a safer online world for all users, including adults and vulnerable groups.

Helen also highlighted the importance of holding technology companies accountable for the environments they create, noting that safety-by-design principles should underpin digital services. She concluded by emphasising the need for coordinated action across Government, regulators and community organisations, suggesting that both top-down leadership and bottom-up support would be essential to improving online safety and digital inclusion outcomes.

Josephine Parmee, Head of Social Equity, Value and Impact at Virgin Media O2, began by highlighting the risks associated with individuals disengaging from digital services altogether due to safety concerns. While recognising the importance of addressing online harms, she stressed that there is also a risk that people may choose to go offline entirely, which can create further barriers to access and participation. She suggested that this underscores the importance of responsibly connecting individuals and ensuring they are supported to engage safely online.

Josephine also highlighted the disproportionate risks faced by women and girls, particularly those experiencing vulnerability. She referenced Virgin Media O2’s work supporting women and girls in refuge settings, where individuals are provided with access to technology alongside training to help them navigate online spaces safely. She noted that this support often focuses on mitigating risks such as fraud, scams and privacy concerns, which can disproportionately affect vulnerable groups.

She also discussed the importance of supporting children and parents to navigate online environments safely. Josephine highlighted the organisation’s partnership with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, which focuses on engaging directly with young people and encouraging conversations around safe online behaviour. She suggested that while online safety is often discussed in terms of harm prevention, there is also a growing need to consider issues of online influence and exposure to content.

Josephine further referenced the ongoing online safety consultation, suggesting that discussions around potential restrictions should be accompanied by broader considerations of privacy, digital wellbeing and safe online engagement. She noted that these issues should also be reflected within the Digital Inclusion Action Plan.

Drawing on recent research, she highlighted that a third of users encounter online content unintentionally, risking exposure to misinformation and harmful material. She also pointed to emerging risks associated with artificial intelligence and within online platforms, including unlabelled AI-generated content and autoplay features, which she suggested could amplify harmful content and contribute to wider societal impacts. She concluded by emphasising the need for continued collaboration to address these evolving challenges and ensure safer online experiences for all users.

The discussion was then opened to the wider group, with attendees sharing reflections on the themes of online safety, digital inclusion and the role of regulation.

Hannah Whelan, Advocacy Lead Good Things Foundation emphasised the importance of digital confidence, suggesting that while it is referenced in the Digital Inclusion Action Plan, it is not addressed comprehensively enough. She argued that greater emphasis should be placed on understanding users’ digital confidence and that perhaps the Digital Inclusion Action Plan should commission further research into the topic.

Gill German MP spoke about her experience as a former teacher and her work engaging with local organisations in her constituency. She described conducting forums and surveys with participating schools, which highlighted concerns around fake news and artificial intelligence. She noted that many students felt they lacked clear guidance, particularly as children are often perceived as being more knowledgeable about technology than parents or teachers. She added that safeguards were struggling to keep pace with technological developments, and that students also expressed concerns about being wrongly accused of using AI in their academic work. She emphasised the importance of empowering community leaders, teachers and parents to better support young people.

Kat Dixon, Senior Policy Advisor at Citizens Advice, highlighted the importance of both user education and safety-by-design approaches. She noted that she is a longstanding advocate for digital empowerment and education, having witnessed the impact of it firsthand. She suggested that safety-by-design is something which must be refocussed on in this debate. This led her to discuss the potential financial harms and scams associated within online spaces, noting that while overall fraud levels remain stable according to ONS data, bank and credit card fraud is increasing. She suggested that more support is needed from those platform providers by way of safety-by-design, not just education to ensure safer online environments.

Alice Poole, Associate Partner at PA Consulting, emphasised the broader social value impact of digital inclusion, noting that improving access and skills can deliver substantial benefits across multiple areas of society. She suggested the Government has an opportunity to ask Departments to drive social value benefits by being more specific with suppliers, including suggesting preferred partners which could help aggregate social value work to deliver at scale. She concluded by saying that many suppliers would welcome the opportunity to work closely with Departments on social value post-procurement, throughout the project lifecycle.

Helen Burrows, Distribution Controller at the BBC, began by noting she was speaking in her capacity as a Trustee of Smartphone Free Childhood. She suggested organisations creating and operating online spaces should be required to take greater responsibility for safety. She told attendees that the consultation should lead to a more preventative regulatory regime and that the technology already exists to deliver better safety-by-design. Helen also suggested that this agenda should not be seen as anti-growth but rather as pro-growth, and drew a contrast between the trusted standards associated with television and the weaker standards applied to some larger online platforms.

Responding to this, Dan Aldridge MP noted that he sensed a shift in the Government’s confidence to push back more firmly on larger organisations. Helen Burrows added that broadcast media has always been regulated and suggested that equivalent principles could be applied to newer technologies and platforms as well.

Professor of Digital Culture at the University of Liverpool, Simeon Yates, returned to the earlier analogy comparing unsupported digital access to giving someone a car without a seatbelt. He argued that technology companies should not have to be told not to permit clearly harmful outcomes, and suggested that Government’s role is to create the conditions in which media literacy, digital skills and safety are built into the system. He added that if the sector is serious about getting people online and keeping them safe, then regulation must improve alongside education.

Liz Williams MBE, Chief Executive of FutureDotNow raised the question of how digital inclusion itself is being defined, suggesting that clarity on this point is essential. She referenced issues around displacement, the experiences of women and children, and online safety more broadly, and argued that greater investment is needed. She also referred to the wider context of cyber attacks and the need to be clearer about the “who”, “what” and “how” of digital inclusion policy.

Jan Short, General Secretary at the National Pensioners Convention agreed with calls for stronger regulation of platform providers. She suggested that there should be a strong regulator with meaningful powers, potentially including fines and licensing arrangements. She noted that platform providers generate significant revenues while many older people continue to face barriers around affordability, literacy and accessibility, including sight-related issues. She urged the APPG to embed the principle of “leave no one behind” in its future work and also called for action in relation to NHS apps.

Dan Aldridge MP then noted the importance of human behaviour in this debate. Chris Ashworth OBE returned to the discussion and suggested that Josephine Parmee had made an important point about disenfranchisement and agency. If large numbers of people feel excluded or lack a sense of control online, he argued, future work must focus not only on access but also on how to give people a stronger sense of agency and confidence.

Freddie Quek, Chair of the Digital Divide Specialist Group at BCS and founder of #JoiningTheDots, also contributed to the discussion, stressing that getting people online in the first place remains a major challenge. He suggested that definitions are important and that clarity around what is meant by digital inclusion is essential if progress is to be made.

Closing the session, Dan Aldridge MP encouraged attendees to continue contributing to the consultation process and to think creatively about how to drive progress in the space. He noted that those in the room were among the people capable of helping to affect change and reiterated that consultation responses can be highly influential in shaping policy. He thanked participants for their contributions and emphasised the opportunity he has seen here in advancing digital inclusion and online safety.