Cyber Crime
Why the Online Safety Act will make the internet safer for kids
Following years of developments between government, industry and parliament, the Online Safety Bill (OSB) is finally law. And although it isn’t perfect by any means, there are some important provisions which will make the digital world a safer place for children. This is the kind of world we’ve been helping to build for years via our Internet Safety for Kids and Families (ISKF) programme.
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Following years of developments between government, industry and parliament, the Online Safety Bill (OSB) is finally law. And although it isn’t perfect by any means, there are some important provisions which will make the digital world a safer place for children. This is the kind of world we’ve been helping to build for years via our Internet Safety for Kids and Families (ISKF) programme.
What’s in the Online Safety Act?
Now known as the Online Safety Act, this is a big piece of legislation. But at its core is a simple idea: to force technology firms and especially social media providers to take more responsibility for content published on their platforms. Among its key provisions are new rules to compel these providers to remove content such as:
- Child sexual abuse
- Promotion of self-harm or suicide
- Controlling or coercive behaviour
- Extreme sexual violence
Of course, the key will be how it is implemented and policed. That job will fall largely to Ofcom, which will draw up codes of conduct for industry. Breaking the law could result in fines of up to 10% of global annual revenue or £18m, whichever is larger.
Our mission to drive internet safety
While the act is a step in the right direction, it’s far from a silver bullet. That’s why we’ll continue to promote our long-running ISKF programme around the world. Crucially, ISKF is not about lobbying tech firms to take down content. It’s about arming kids, parents, teachers and carers with the knowledge they need to navigate the digital world in a smarter, safer and kinder manner.
To that end, we don’t just educate global communities about online safety, but also digital literacy and citizenship. We’ve reached millions already, but we’re just getting started.
