Whoever takes Number 10, children’s online safety must come first
Online safety is not something that can be put on hold or postponed until the next leader settles in, writes Andy Lulham
Over the past few weeks, there has been growing speculation over who will be occupying Downing Street come autumn.
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Faced with a potential change in leadership, many are feeling understandably worried about what this could mean for some of the most pressing social issues in our country. One cause that cannot lose momentum is protecting young people online.
The landmark Online Safety Act, which came into effect last year, positioned the UK as a global leader in online safety. It marked an important step towards creating age-appropriate experiences online, from introducing age checks designed to keep minors away from pornographic or explicit material online to demanding that platforms limit users’ access to extremist, violent, hateful or dangerous content.
While robust in scope, the Act as it is today is not enough to protect young people. What we need is for those responsible for the rollout, implementation, and enforcement of the Act to continue to respond to new online harms as they evolve day to day and across different platforms.
Young people are growing up in a world where being online is practically unavoidable; it’s where they socialise, discover new interests, learn and connect with the world around them. Along with these benefits, though, come real risks, including cyberbullying, predatory behaviour, addictive features and algorithms capable of making dangerous content go viral before parents, educators or legislators even have a chance to react.
Children and teens deserve consistency and long-term commitment from the legislators and regulators tasked with creating safer, more enriching and age-appropriate online experiences for them. The only way to keep pace with the changing landscape of online harms is by making sure we continue reviewing and updating safety policy, regardless of who occupies Number 10.
With the Government’s consultation into a potential social media ban for under-16s now closed, ministers are under growing pressure to map out what comes next. Over the three months of the consultation, more than 81,000 individuals, charities and private sector organisations have weighed in on the debate, with powerful arguments on both sides of the social media divide.
Some, like Verifymy or the Molly Rose Foundation, have warned that a ban could unintentionally push children towards unregulated platforms or create a cliff edge for users when they are finally old enough to access social media.
On the other hand, proponents of the ban, including the vast majority of parents, have urged the Government to stand firm and reset young people’s relationship with social media by holding platforms to greater account for their digital safety. Regardless of whether policymakers decide to pursue an outright ban or move towards phased, age-based restrictions, inaction cannot be the outcome.
A year on from the full enactment of the landmark Online Safety Act, there is an opportunity to demonstrate that digital safety and technological progress can go hand in hand. From robust age-assurance technologies to stronger moderation standards, advances in safeguarding tools mean platforms are better equipped than ever to create experiences that are privacy-preserving and safe-by-design for their users, especially the younger and most vulnerable.
The danger during moments of political transition is that long-term issues fall by the wayside, in favour of short-term promises that influence political battles. Online safety, however, is not something that can be put on hold or postponed until the next leader settles in. The digital world evolves rapidly, so do potential harms; the pace of policymaking must keep up.
The UK has the opportunity to set the global standard for a safer internet, but only if young people’s digital wellbeing is not sidelined by political transition.
Whoever the UK’s next leader may be, if indeed we have a new Prime Minister by Autumn, must recognise that online safety is not a temporary political issue, but a responsibility towards generations to come.
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Andy Lulham is Chief Operating Officer at Verifymy.
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