Proposed new online safeguards for children forcing websites to apply child-friendly data protections as default or use “robust” age-checking tools could do “untold harm” to media firms, editors have warned.

The Age Appropriate Design code of practice, drafted by the Information Commissioner’s Office, sets out personal data handling and privacy protection standards for under-18s to prevent their exploitation online.

The 16-point code applies to so-called “information society services” likely to be used by children, which extends to news websites as well as social media platforms, search engines, apps and streaming services.