Episode 92 - Maeve Walsh, Director of the Online Safety Act Network
Thu Feb 05 2026
Safety by Design: Protecting Children in the Age of AI
We chat with Maeve Walsh, Director of the Online Safety Act Network
Join Zoe Amar and Paul Thomas for a conversation with Maeve Walsh, Director of the Online Safety Act Network. In this episode, we explore the complex landscape of online safety regulation, the emerging risks AI poses to children, and what parents and leaders really need to know.
Maeve brings a wealth of experience to this conversation, having spent 17 years in Whitehall including roles at Cabinet Office, No10 and DCMS, where she led the team responsible for delivering the UK Digital Strategy. As a Carnegie Trust associate, her work on online harm reduction helped shape the Online Safety Act. She now leads the Online Safety Act Network and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.
In this engaging discussion, Zoe, Paul and Maeve discuss:
Why regulation drives innovation rather than stifling it – and how online safety regulation creates a level playing field, just as safety standards have done in sectors from food to cars.
The end of tech exceptionalism. Why the argument that social media platforms are somehow "different" and can't be regulated is being debunked globally, from the EU's Digital Services Act to Australia's under-16 ban.
The alarming risks AI poses to children – from chatbots designed to be persuasive and sycophantic, to harmful content being served up without safety testing. Why AI products are essentially being "tested in the wild" on our kids.
What the public actually want. 72% say regulation would increase their comfort with AI, and 78% want safety checks on generative AI products even if it means delays – so why isn't this translating into industry action?
Why even tech-savvy parents struggle with parental controls – and why the responsibility for keeping children safe shouldn't fall solely on their shoulders.
What safety by design actually looks like: privacy set to the highest setting by default, better verification, and children only seeing content from accounts they follow.
Practical advice for parents on having those tricky tech conversations with your kids – and why communication beats restriction.
Show Notes & Links
Online Safety Act Network
Maeve Walsh on LinkedIn
Zoe and Paul discussed:
BBC – AI chatbots and the risks to young people
The Guardian – Moltbook: the social media site built for AI agents
Please leave us a review if you enjoy what you hear!
Editing and production - Paul Thomas
Music by Joseph McDade https://josephmcdade.com/music
Full transcript of this episode (srt file)
Full transcript of this episode (.txt file)
Transcripts are also available through your podcast app.
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Safety by Design: Protecting Children in the Age of AI We chat with Maeve Walsh, Director of the Online Safety Act Network Join Zoe Amar and Paul Thomas for a conversation with Maeve Walsh, Director of the Online Safety Act Network. In this episode, we explore the complex landscape of online safety regulation, the emerging risks AI poses to children, and what parents and leaders really need to know. Maeve brings a wealth of experience to this conversation, having spent 17 years in Whitehall including roles at Cabinet Office, No10 and DCMS, where she led the team responsible for delivering the UK Digital Strategy. As a Carnegie Trust associate, her work on online harm reduction helped shape the Online Safety Act. She now leads the Online Safety Act Network and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. In this engaging discussion, Zoe, Paul and Maeve discuss: Why regulation drives innovation rather than stifling it – and how online safety regulation creates a level playing field, just as safety standards have done in sectors from food to cars. The end of tech exceptionalism. Why the argument that social media platforms are somehow "different" and can't be regulated is being debunked globally, from the EU's Digital Services Act to Australia's under-16 ban. The alarming risks AI poses to children – from chatbots designed to be persuasive and sycophantic, to harmful content being served up without safety testing. Why AI products are essentially being "tested in the wild" on our kids. What the public actually want. 72% say regulation would increase their comfort with AI, and 78% want safety checks on generative AI products even if it means delays – so why isn't this translating into industry action? Why even tech-savvy parents struggle with parental controls – and why the responsibility for keeping children safe shouldn't fall solely on their shoulders. What safety by design actually looks like: privacy set to the highest setting by default, better verification, and children only seeing content from accounts they follow. Practical advice for parents on having those tricky tech conversations with your kids – and why communication beats restriction. Show Notes & Links Online Safety Act Network Maeve Walsh on LinkedIn Zoe and Paul discussed: BBC – AI chatbots and the risks to young people The Guardian – Moltbook: the social media site built for AI agents Please leave us a review if you enjoy what you hear! Editing and production - Paul Thomas Music by Joseph McDade https://josephmcdade.com/music Full transcript of this episode (srt file) Full transcript of this episode (.txt file) Transcripts are also available through your podcast app.