Be an Online Safety Angel: Donate Here to Save a Child from the Wild West Web
Authors: Phippen, A.
Journal: Entertainment Law Review (UK)
Volume: 36
Issue: 8
Publisher: Sweet and Maxwell
eISSN: 0959-3799
ISSN: 0959-3799
Abstract:This article critically examines the role of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in shaping online safety policy, particularly their influence on public discourse, legislative development, and moral narratives surrounding child protection. Drawing on concepts such as moral panic, governmentality, and biopolitics, the paper explores how NGOs may unintentionally, or strategically, amplify fear-driven messaging to maintain visibility, funding, and authority in the digital policy space. Through analysis of recurring rhetoric, case studies like the Momo panic, and the dynamics of media cycles, it argues that current online safety policy formation is often reactive, performative, and informed more by political theatre and public emotion than robust evidence. While NGOs have undoubtedly contributed to awareness and advocacy, their disproportionate influence, especially when grounded in inconclusive or misrepresented science, raises critical ethical and epistemological questions. The article calls for greater transparency, scrutiny, and technical competence in policy-making, emphasizing the need for nuanced, evidence-based approaches that genuinely serve the needs and rights of young people in digital environments.
Source: Manual