ARThe government has produced new guidance around protecting users online in response to smaller tech firms feeling 'less confident' in incorporating online safety measures. The guidance is there to support tech firms with relevant and appropriate information when products and platforms are developed so that online safety is prioritised and implemented from the start.
Protecting Children and Young People
This new guidance aims to minimise the risk of harm online by encouraging tech firms to design their platforms with appropriate measures in place specifically around child safety and user experience. They highlight the use of ‘age appropriate’ experiences, ensuring age verifications are appropriately used across platforms that may be inappropriate for young children including social media. As well as this, it is advised that adults should be able to implement parental controls and restrictions by default without risk of children altering them.
Filtering and reporting was also highlighted with firms encouraged to provide users with an easy, accessible method of reporting harmful content as well as ensuring that material revolving around search terms that could potentially be harmful are appropriately blocked out. There is information on protecting data as well as guidance on responding and reporting child sexual exploitation and abuse as well as wider topics such as promoting positivity across platforms.
David Wright (Director of UK Safer Internet Centre at SWGfL) said:
It is encouraging to see that over the last few months’, the government is actively prioritising online safety ahead of the Online Safety Bill. This new guidance is another step forward in protecting children online but it is now essential that the focus remains. For us, the UK Safer Internet Centre and all of our partners have been tackling these issues for many years, providing tools around reporting, filtering and security. It is now time for tech firms to take the appropriate responsibility and ensure they keep their users protected.
The UK Safer Internet Centre currently receives £1.3m from the European Union to deliver online safety helplines, hotlines and educational resources that are downloaded millions of times a year. This funding costs just 10p per child under the age of 15 in the UK. Despite the enormous impact this has on children’s lives we are yet to see any funding from the Government. It is time they honoured their commitment to child online safety in the UK and filled this essential gap.
Tools to Support Online Safety
The following tools provided by SWGfL and the UK Safer Internet Centre can assist in your online safety responsibilities.
Report Harmful Content
If you have been a victim to or witnessed harmful content online, you can report it via our website. Content can include unwanted sexual advances, online abuse, bullying and pornographic content.
Test Filtering
Does your Internet Service Provider (ISP) protect your family, staff or students from harmful content such as Child Abuse content and Terrorist content? Is pornography accessible? Use our free test suite to check what is accessible and what is blocked.
Social Media Checklists
Downloadable booklets to help guide you through important privacy and security settings on the most popular social media platforms including Twitter, Facebook, Roblox, Tik Tok, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook and Netflix.
IWF
Allowing users to anonymously and confidentially report child sexual abuse content and non-photographic child sexual abuse images.
