Ministers should commit to a new version of the Online Safety Bill which strengthens regulation in order to better protect children, a charity has said.
The Molly Rose Foundation has warned that the current implementation of the Bill by new online safety regulator Ofcom has been risk averse and unambitious, while also exposing structural weaknesses in the Act which it says need to be fixed.
In a report published to mark one year since the Act was passed, the charity said it was concerned that Ofcom's draft regulatory plans were not robust enough in holding tech firms to account, and did not truly grasp the size and scale of online threats, including suicide and self-harm content.
It also suggests placing a new duty of candour on tech firms, which would require them to disclose information to the regulator and be open and proactive when new online harms emerge.
The Online Safety Act is due to start coming into effect next year, and places new duties on social media platforms to protect users, particularly children, from harmful content, with large fines for those who fail to abide by the rules.
Ofcom is currently drafting new codes of practice across a range of policy areas and content types, which platforms will be required to follow.
The Molly Rose Foundation was set-up by the family of Molly Russell, who ended her life at age 14, in November 2017, after viewing harmful content on social media.
But Molly's father Ian, who is the chair of the charity, said the rules still needed more work.
"Almost seven years after Molly's death, we urgently need ministers to finish the job, with a strengthened Online Safety Act that makes clear measurable harm reduction is the North Star of this regime," he said.
"While I firmly believe regulation is the best way to protect children from preventable harm, the reality is that timid regulation will cost lives.
"Ofcom has so far failed to grasp the nettle and respond decisively to preventable online harm."
The charity's chief executive, Andy Burrows, said: "By committing to strengthen the Online Safety Act, ministers can give confidence to parents and the country at large that credible, effective and decisive change is on the way.
"The Government should commit to a set of clear, effective changes that can build on the landmark Act and deliver the strong regulatory regime that our young people need and deserve."
Alongside its report, the Foundation has published new research which it says shows parents and adults broadly support strengthening the online safety rules.