Dame Rachel said: “I am calling for all online services – not just social media platforms, but gaming sites and any platforms that make use of harmful features and functionalities – to be banned from accessing children, until they can prove that they are designed in a way that will protect children’s safety and wellbeing.

“These are the terms that I believe this debate should be using. It is not about ‘banning children’. Children have done nothing wrong. They are not the culprit. It is about banning powerful technology companies from accessing and harming England’s children.”

‘Insidious’ harms

She said children were still being exposed to numerous risks online despite the introduction of the Online Safety Act 2023. One in six children aged 13 to 17 (15 per cent) had viewed content promoting eating disorders, and one in seven (13 per cent) had seen content promoting suicide and self-harm.

She said the act had failed to protect children from more “insidious” harms such as the pressure to stay online, wasted hours and endless scrolling late at night.

Dame Rachel accused adults of a “dereliction of duty”, which meant children that she had consulted felt they had to take the initiative themselves to stay safe and well online by turning off notifications, deleting accounts and using app blockers.

“We need action to address technology companies’ unfettered access to children, often through features designed in ways that increase harm,” Dame Rachel told The Telegraph.

“That is why I am calling for a reset of the debate. Any online service – not just social media, but gaming and other platforms – that uses harmful or risky features should be banned from accessing under-18s unless and until it can prove it is safe.

“This means tackling the features that drive addiction, expose children to harmful content, or enable contact from strangers.

“The responsibility lies with companies to demonstrate that their services protect children’s safety and wellbeing. Until they do this, they should not be allowed into their lives.

“How the Government responds to this consultation will shape what it’s like to grow up in this country for years to come. I do not believe it is an overstatement to say that online regulation will be the defining issue for England’s children over the next decade.”