This chapter explores the role of media-driven moral panics in shaping public perceptions of online safety and influencing policy responses to child online harms. Using high-profile cases such as the “Momo challenge” and concerns around grooming during COVID-19 lockdowns, the chapter illustrates how sensationalist media narratives amplify perceived threats to child safety, often leading to reactive rather than evidence-based policies. By examining historical moral panics, including the Satanic Panic of the 1980s, the text highlights recurring cycles of fear fuelled by exaggerated media coverage, public anxiety, and reactive policy making. Applying Stanley Cohen’s framework, the chapter analyses how these moral panics contribute to a rhetoric of platform scapegoating and misplaced liability on tech companies. Emphasizing the need for critical media literacy and evidence-based approaches, the chapter argues for a balanced and informed response to online safety, advocating for strategies that prioritize actual risks and meaningful support for young people’s digital experiences.