ANIMAL rights campaigners have revealed that one in four people in Wales have witnessed animal cruelty online. 

The RSPCA fears social media is desensitising young people to animal harm after new data from the charity shows animal abuse on social media is on course to hit a four-year high.

RSPCA chief executive Chris Sherwood said: “There’s a growing concern that the proliferation of animal abuse content online risks normalising animal harm, pain and suffering. 

“We’re deeply concerned by the terrifyingly high numbers of young people now being exposed to images and videos of animal abuse.

“Social media companies must do more to protect young people from being exposed to this content at a time when the challenges facing animals are already among the greatest in the RSPCA's 200-year history.”

As regulator of the new Online Safety Act 2023, Ofcom will be consulting on what social media companies need to do to deal with animal abuse on their channels.