Ofcom: most parents haven't set who their child can play games with online

A new Ofcom study (published October 13, 2026) found that 55% of children who game online play with people they have never met, yet fewer than half of parents (43%) have set any limits on who their child can game with — even though stranger contact is parents' top gaming concern. The figures come from a UK-representative sample of children aged 3–17, but the gap between concern and action is likely to look familiar anywhere. Ofcom is running a half-term 'Check, Chat and Change' campaign encouraging families to review these settings now.