Source: Department of Health and Social Care published on this website Monday 5 January 2026 by Jill Powell

Kids will be protected from exposure to junk food advertising on TV and online as new regulations come into force to help tackle childhood obesity.

From today, adverts for less healthy food and drinks will be banned on television before 9pm, and online at all times.

This decisive and world-leading action by this government is expected to remove up to 7.2 billion calories from children’s diets each year, reduce the number of children living with obesity by 20,000 and deliver around £2 billion in health benefits over time.

Evidence shows advertising influences what and when children eat, shaping preferences from a young age and increasing the risk of obesity and related illnesses. The ban targets the media children and young people use most at the times they use it.

At the start of primary school, 22.1% of children in England are living with overweight or obesity and this rises to 35.8% by the time they leave. Tooth decay is the leading cause of hospital admissions for young children (typically ages 5-9) in the UK.

Minister for Health, Ashley Dalton said:

We promised to do everything we can to give every child the best and healthiest start in life.

By restricting adverts for junk food before 9pm and banning paid adverts online, we can remove excessive exposure to unhealthy foods - making the healthy choice the easy choice for parents and children.

We’re moving the dial from having the NHS treat sickness, to preventing it so people can lead healthier lives and so it can be there for us when we need it.

This government has worked closely with health campaigners and industry leaders to find the right balance which combines our commitment to raising healthy kids and economic growth. It’s in everyone’s interest that parents and children can make healthy choices and we thank food and drink companies for getting behind these restrictions voluntary since October ahead of them taking legal effect today.

Previous interventions, such as the Soft Drinks Industry Levy resulted in businesses reformulating to make products healthier, and the measures coming into effect today have already had a similar impact, driving the development and promotion of healthier options.

This change is part of a range of measures the government is taking to lift children out of poverty and help give them the best start in life.

To tackle obesity and improve diets, this government has introduced the Healthy Food Standard to make the average shopping basket of goods healthier, and we’re giving local authorities the power to stop fast food shops setting up outside schools.

Colette Marshall, Chief Executive at Diabetes UK, said: 

“With type 2 diabetes on the rise in young people, the need to improve children’s health in the UK has never been greater. Obesity is a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes, and the condition can lead to more severe consequences in young people – leaving them at risk of serious complications like kidney failure and heart disease.

“The long-awaited move to restrict junk food advertising – along with other measures such as mandatory healthy food sales reporting for businesses and the extension of the Soft Drinks Industry Levy – can help protect the health of our children, creating a future where conditions like type 2 diabetes can be prevented in young people.”

The Soft Drink Industry Levy will be extended to cover more products, including sugary milk-based drinks – and we’re helping to further improve kids’ diets by banning the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children under 16.

In December, the Prime Minister announced parents could save up to £500 a year on baby formula thanks to new government measures aimed at reducing household costs and easing the cost of living for hard-working families.

This government has also introduced supervised toothbrushing for three to five-year-olds to protect those in the most deprived communities from tooth decay.

Our landmark Tobacco and Vapes Bill, meanwhile, will break the cycle of addiction and stop the next generation getting hooked on nicotine. It will also halt the advertising and sponsorship of vapes, limiting their packaging, flavours and displays which lure young people in.

These measures combined with the junk food ban mark the 10 Year Health Plan’s shift towards prevention and significant progress towards the government’s our pledge of raising the healthiest generation of children ever.

and reduce people’s risk of cancer in the future.

Source: Home Office published on this website Friday 18 December 2025 by Jill Powell

The next generation of girls will be better protected from violence and young boys steered away from harmful misogynistic influences, under sweeping new measures announced by the Prime Minister. 

The plans unveiled today will focus on prevention and tackling the root causes of abuse, and come as the latest stats show that nearly 40% of teenagers in relationships are a victim of relationship abuse and over 40% of young men hold a positive view of Andrew Tate.

Under the £20 million package, teachers and families will be empowered to address these harmful attitudes and behaviours head on, with young people taught to identify positive role models and challenge unhealthy myths about women and relationships.

This is just one part of the government’s strategy to tackle violence against women and girls, deploying the full power of the state in the largest crackdown on violence against women and girls in British history.

Teachers will get specialist training on how to talk to pupils about issues like consent and the dangers of sharing intimate images, with experts brought in to pilot new approaches. This will be backed by pioneering research identifying the most effective way of teaching young people these crucial lessons.

Building on changes already announced to arm children against disinformation, fake news and conspiracy theories on social media, all secondary schools in England will be required to have a strong offer to educate students about healthy and respectful relationships, with every child getting access to this by the end of this Parliament.

Tackling the most worrying attitudes as early as possible, schools will also send high-risk individuals to get the extra care and support they need, focused on challenging deep-rooted misogynist influences. We will move quickly to deliver what works – a specific pot of money will be used to look specifically at how to prevent the most harmful sexual behaviours. A new helpline will be launched to help young people concerned about their behaviours to get the help they need.  

The SAFEcic Office will close at 17:00 on Tuesday 23rd December, and reopen at 09:00 Monday 5th of January.

Emails and answerphone messages will be monitored, but responses may not be as rapid as normal.

All here at SAFEcic wish everyone a peaceful festive break.

Source: The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) published on this website Thursday 18 December 2025 by Jill Powell

The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) is proud to welcome CameraForensics as a new Member, strengthening a shared mission to eradicate child sexual abuse material from the internet and safeguard children worldwide.

CameraForensics is a global leader in online imaging intelligence, working closely with law enforcement agencies to develop cutting-edge tools that tackle emerging threats and accelerate time-critical investigations into crimes against children. The company’s technology helps investigators to identify victims and offenders faster, while reducing unnecessary exposure to harmful material.

By embedding IWF’s Hash List into its capabilities, CameraForensics will enable investigators to prioritise high-risk cases, protect more children from harm and reduce trauma among professionals on the front line.

The comprehensive library of unique ‘digital fingerprints’ of known child sexual abuse content allows CameraForensics to detect criminal images and videos quickly and accurately.

Matt Burns, Founder of CameraForensics, said: “We are very proud to partner with the Internet Watch Foundation. Enhancing our CameraForensics capabilities with IWF’s Image Hash List is an essential step on this journey.

“By helping investigators to quickly identify known child sexual abuse material, we can help them prioritise the high-risk cases where children need urgent protection. Thank you to IWF for all the incredible work that they continue to do.”

Kerry Smith, Internet Watch Foundation CEO, said: “Collaboration with tech companies like CameraForensics helps to amplify the reach of essential tools and expertise to create a safer digital world for children.

“By joining the IWF as a Member, CameraForensics demonstrate their commitment to child protection and we are pleased to have them join us in our mission to stop the spread of child sexual abuse material online.”

Find out more about becoming a Member and the services the IWF can provide here.