In conversation with Online Safety Minister, Kanishka Narayan MP and Nicola Green, Virgin Media O2’s Chief Communications and Corporate Affairs Officer
At Virgin Media O2, we connect millions of people every day, and with that, comes a huge responsibility. For years, we’ve helped support families with tools, advice and partnerships that put digital wellbeing first. Our work as a founding member and long-standing partner of Internet Matters is a huge part of that, and has helped parents feel confident, not judged.
As a mother who has worked in communications for over 30 years, I know how powerful the online world can be, for good and for bad. It moves fast, and at times can be overwhelming. But parents can be the ultimate influencers – many just need the tools and confidence to prove it.
That’s why we’re proud to be the telco partner of the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) for its new Media Literacy campaign. For the parents and guardians who feel unsure about where to begin and what to say, we are working together to create simple and accessible resources, including tips on how to help children think carefully about online content.
Virgin Media O2’s Paddington headquarters recently welcomed the Online Safety Minister, Kanishka Narayan MP, alongside industry partners, academics and content creators for a frank and honest discussion about how to hold these conversations and better support parents. After the roundtable, I had the pleasure of hearing more from the Minister about the campaign:
Nicola Green: Why is DSIT’s ‘You Won’t Know until You Ask’ campaign so important, and why is it being launched now?
Kanishka Narayan MP: Every parent wants to keep their child safe, but when it comes to what kids are seeing online too many feel like they’re navigating it blind. New research shows half of British parents have never spoken to their children about harmful online experiences, and over half haven’t come across any resources to help. That’s not a parenting failure; it’s a support gap we needed to fill.
By secondary school, nine in ten children have a smartphone. The content children encounter online can be positive and enriching, but it can also include misleading posts, polarising material and toxic narratives. Much of this isn’t illegal, so regulation alone can’t catch it. So, we built a free hub with practical conversation guides parents can use. Technology moves fast, and our support for families has to keep up.
What were your key takeaways from the roundtable we held recently? Did you sense optimism in the room?
What struck me most was how much everyone cared, and how much common ground there was. Parents, academic experts, the tech sector, child safety organisations, all coming at this from different angles but arriving at the same place: families need honest, open conversations, and they need support to have them.
I felt a real sense of optimism, and it was grounded in things that are actually working. Parents watching YouTube with their kids rather than just monitoring from a distance. Conversations about modelling good habits – if you grab your phone the moment you wake up, your children will learn to do the same. And some genuinely thoughtful discussion about the difference between privacy and secrecy as children get older.
It left me feeling that people are ready for this, they just needed somewhere to start.
What will be key to the success of the campaign?
Reaching the families who need it most. Around one in four households with children have parents who lack the skills to manage digital risks, and those are precisely the families least likely to come across government guidance on their own. So, we have to go where parents already are: parenting forums, social media, trusted voices in communities.
The hub gives families one simple question to start with – “Who shared this, and why?” – and builds from there. I think about my own experience helping my mum spot misinformation online; that kind of knowledge passes between generations, and that’s what we’re trying to spark.
We’ll be listening, learning and adapting as the campaign runs. One moment won’t change behaviour, but regular conversations at home will.
What one message would you give parents who may be worried about online safety?
You won’t know until you ask.
You don’t need to be a tech expert, just ask your child what they’re watching, who they’re talking to, and how it makes them feel. One question – “Who shared this, and why?” – can genuinely change how they think about what they see online.
Your interest and openness matter far more than you may realise. Visit the kids online safety hub and start the conversation today.
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