Bishop of Oxford warns House of Lords over online safety

Speaking during a debate on the King’s Speech in the House of Lords on Tuesday, the Rt Revd Dr Steven Croft told peers that British citizens interests are not being served by global technology companies.

The Bishop questioned why the Government had failed to include legislation on AI safety.

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Dr Croft, who will retire from his role in the summer, said there were ‘urgent changes needed to the online safety regime’.

He said: “There are some things to welcome in the King’s Speech on technology.

The Bishop of Oxford Rt Rev Dr Steven Croft (Image: Oxford Mail)

“However there is, for me, a massive hole in the centre of Government policy in the area of online safety and security, and the relationship between government and technology companies.

“The best interests of our citizens are simply not being served by a small number of global companies pledged to generate revenue and to meet the demands of their shareholders.

“We are seeing, and will see, an increasing distortion of human dignity and value in the interests of profit.”

Crossbench peer Baroness Kidron warned the Government will be found “profoundly wanting”, particularly regarding protecting children.

She said: “The King’s Speech says remarkably little about tech, for what is an issue that controls every aspect of private and public life.

The Bishop of Oxford Rt Rev Dr Steven Croft (Image: Oxford Mail)

“It promises transformation, efficiency, empowerment for UK citizens, but its legislative programme does not provide the means.”

Liberal Democrat peer Baroness Floella Benjamin, a former children’s TV presenter, also said young people need to be protected from online content.

She added: “At present, we are failing our children as the content they watch online in droves, on platforms like YouTube and TikTok, (is) adding to their mental vulnerability.”

Responding to the debate, education minister Baroness Smith of Malvern said the Government has been clear that it will be introducing “some form of age or functionality restrictions in place for under-16s on online services” by the end of the year.

The Bishop of Oxford faced controversy two years ago when a man who was raped by a priest as a teenager renewed his call for him to resign.

Matthew Ineson disclosed the abuse he suffered to Dr Croft in 2012 while he was Bishop of Sheffield, but an independent review in 2023 had found senior clergy had ‘failed to act’.

Dr Croft said it was one of his “deepest regrets” that he did not do more to ensure the disclosure was followed up.

Mr Ineson said he told five senior clergy including Dr Croft about his experiences on eight separate occasions in 2012 and 2013, but the information was never followed up.

Dr Croft was ordained in 1983 and went on to serve in Enfield, London, before returning to Yorkshire in 1987 as vicar of St George’s, Ovenden in Halifax.