The Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism office has issued a warning to parents taking advantage of Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales to buy their children smartphones or tablets.
Officers from Counter Terrorism Policing London urged parents to be vigilant over their children’s online activity as it sees a worrying increase in the radicalisation of young people through the internet.
Referrals in London to the Government’s Prevent scheme have increased by 38% in the last year, driven primarily by concerns over children under the age of 18 being radicalised.
There has also been a steady increase in children being arrested for terrorism-related activity over the past four years. According to the latest figures from the Home Office, a record number of terrorism arrests for those aged 17 and under was recorded in the year ending June 2025.
With more children able to access the internet through their phones, the Met said there may be an increased risk they are exposed to dangerous or harmful material that could lead to them being radicalised.
Parents have been warned to set appropriate controls on any devices they purchase for their children to minimise the risk that they are exposed to unsafe content.
“I know lots of children will receive new phones or tablets this Christmas, with many purchased over the coming weekend’s sales, so it’s vital that parents are setting appropriate controls to ensure their children are kept safe on their devices,” said London Prevent Co-Ordinator Detective Superintendent Jane Corrigan.
“It is extremely concerning to see more and more young people in our caseload, who are accessing extremist, violent and terrorist-related content online.”
“That is why we need both parental and public help with this – to protect children from encountering this type of material in the first place and to prevent them from disappearing into dark and dangerous spaces online,” Corrigan said.
The Met also said that parents should take an active interest in their children’s digital lives and become familiar with their online habits to prevent them from being drawn towards radicalising material.
Warning signs of children being radicalised through online content include becoming more isolated, speaking as through they are reading from a script, and being secretive about their online activity.
The Met noted that many of the children referred to Prevent did not have an identifiable ideology, but they had accessed terrorist-related content online or developed a fascination with extreme violence.
Parents worried their children may be on the path towards radicalisation can visit the ACT Early website for guidance.
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