July 2021
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This conference considered what more is required from policymakers, regulators, and industry to protect children online and tackle online harms.
We were pleased to be able to include a keynote session with Caroline Dinenage MP, Minister of State for Digital and Culture, DCMS - as well as further keynote contributions from Mark Bunting, Policy Director, Online Harms, Ofcom; and Emily Keaney, Director, Domestic Regulatory Strategy, Information Commissioner’s Office.
The conference took place against the backdrop of a range of significant policy developments, including:
- the Online Harms White Paper - with plans for an Online Safety Bill, a duty of care and further accountability and oversight of tech companies, as well as an online media literacy strategy
- Ofcom being named in the White Paper as the regulator for online harms, and due to publish initial thinking on their approach this year
- the ICO’s Age Appropriate Design Code - aimed at protecting children within the digital world, and ensuring online products and services they can access are designed with data protection safeguards
Discussion focused on:
- taking forward the Online Harms White Paper and the Age Appropriate Design Code
- the impact of the pandemic on children’s use of online resources
- online safety in schools and during remote learning
- the evolving role of platforms
- media literacy, ensuring the safety of internet connected devices, and innovation in identifying and removing harmful content
The agenda
- Protecting children online - key issues, emerging trends and the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown
- Online safety in schools and during remote learning - latest developments and best practice
- Tackling exposure to harmful content online - content regulation, industry responsibility, age verification, and supporting children and their households
- Protecting children online - the view from Ofcom
- Tackling child exploitation and ensuring safety online
- Taking forward the Age Appropriate Design Code
- Media literacy, ensuring the safety of internet connected devices, and innovation in identifying and removing harmful content
- Policy priorities for reducing online harms and supporting child online safety
Areas for discussion:
protecting children online - key issues, emerging trends, and the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown
online safety in schools - and during remote learning:
- latest developments - exploring the most recent updates, as well as looking at best practice
- meeting safety expectations - how schools have adapted to safely meet government guidance on remote education provided during the pandemic, as outlined in Actions for schools during the coronavirus outbreak
the Online Harms White Paper - stakeholder perspectives, and priorities for tackling exposure to harmful content online, with discussion on:
- tackling online harm - the impact of strategies and action taken so far by online platforms and social media companies
- impact on the sector - what plans for a new statutory and enforceable duty of care mean for platforms and social media providers, with the duty of care aiming to make companies take more responsibility for the safety of their users
- scope - the potential role of further content regulation, age verification, and assurance measures, and whether more support is needed for industry compliance and effective enforcement
- safety at home - priorities for households to keep children safe online, as well as the impact of children spending a large amount of time online and alone in their room as a result of the pandemic
the online harms regulator - assessing its future role, and developments in content and platform regulation
ensuring safety online - developments in tackling child exploitation, and innovation in the identification and removal of harmful material
the ICO’s Age Appropriate Design Code:
- taking the code forward - with the transition period for compliance coming to a close in September 2021
- safeguards - priorities for ensuring that these are in place for any online products and services which could be accessed by children
media literacy and safe internet-connected devices - ensuring the safety of connected devices, and improving people’s knowledge of technology, with the Government aiming to develop a new online media literacy strategy this year, including discussion on:
- developing a strategy - what shape any future strategy should take, and how its success should be measured
- current measures - the effectiveness of current countermeasures to tackle misinformation aimed at children and young people online
- engaging with consumers - what more can be done to effectively engage with children, carers, and guardians around the delivery of future media literacy strategies
- the use for innovation - the role of technology in dealing with new and emerging threats
- further measures - whether more is needed to ensure the safety of internet-connected devices, and build upon the requirements set out in the ICO’s Age Appropriate Design Code
policy priorities - for reducing online harms and supporting child online safety
Background to the discussion:
- the Online Harms White Paper - published in 2019, which includes:
- the Government’s commitments to deliver the Online Safety Bill
- plans to improve accountability and oversight for tech companies, as well as for a new duty of care, with the aim of protecting children and vulnerable people online
- Ofcom being named the regulator for online harms, and with a commitment to publishing initial thinking on their approach this year
- a commitment to publish an online media literacy strategy aimed at supporting users to think critically about information online, and to feel more confident in managing their privacy online
- the Draft Online Safety Bill - further outlined in the Queen’s speech:
- aiming to protect user rights while making companies responsible for the protection of children from harmful content and activity online
- Ofcom being designated as the independent online safety regulator:
- with planned enforcement powers including the ability to fine companies up to £18m or 10% of annual turnover
- prioritising cases where children’s safety has been compromised
- the ICO’s Age Appropriate Design Code - which came into effect in September 2020, with an initial 12-month transition period, aimed at:
- protecting children within the digital world
- ensuring online products and services that could be accessed by children incorporate data protection safeguards into their design
- The Internet of Toys Assurance Scheme - with a panel chaired by Baroness Floella Benjamin, set up with aims to improve the security of smart devices and give parents, carers, and guardians more confidence in internet-connected toys
- Review of sexual abuse in schools and colleges - Ofsted’s report:
- finding that online sexual abuse is much more prevalent than adults and professionals realise, with 90% of girls and 50% of boys saying that they had been sent explicit pictures or videos
- making recommendations to the Government including the creation of an online hub where all safeguarding guidance can be put in one place
- Ofcom’s Children’s Media Lives: COVID-19 specific findings - which found that children were not doing as much schoolwork when working remotely, with some lacking structure and routine and spending a large amount of time online and alone in their room
- the rise of self-generated indecent images of children online - issues raised in the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Social Media inquiry
- as well as the recent BBC investigation claiming to find that the UK subscription site OnlyFans is failing to prevent underage users from selling and appearing in explicit videos
- ongoing debate around the use of end-to-end-encryption - with the recently published NSPCC report calling for better framing of the public discussion, which would extend understanding beyond a reductionist choice between adult privacy and child safety
Attendees
Our forums are known for attracting strong interest from policymakers and stakeholders. Places were reserved by officials from the Competition and Markets Authority; the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport; the Department for International Trade; the Government Legal Department; HM Revenue & Customs; the Home Office; the Information Commissioner’s Office; the National Crime Agency; Ofcom; Office of the Children's Commissioner; Office of the Sentencing Council; The Scottish Government and the Welsh Government. As well as representatives from 5Rights Foundation; APPG for Children's Media and the Arts; Arthur Cox; Baker McKenzie; Barnardo's; BBC; British Board of Film Classification; Camelot; Central Foundation Girls' School, London; Children's Rights Alliance; CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang; Cyber Champions; Digital Futures Commission; Dignify; Discovery; Erasmus Student Network UK; EVERFI; Futures for Children; Garston Manor School, Hertfordshire; Herefordshire and Worcestershire Healthcare NHS Trust; Horizon Academy Trust; Includem; ITV; JTL Training; Kingsley Napley; Learning Partnership West; Linklaters; Liverpool John Moores University; Locke Lord; Mishcon de Reya; Mudiad Meithrin; Natterhub; Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust; O2; Ombudsman for Children's Office, Ireland; Ormiston Meridian Academy, Stoke-on-Trent; Osborne Clarke; PA Consulting; River Tees Multi-Academy Trust; Safeguarding Today; SENse Learning; Sheffield Hallam University; Sheffield University; Sky UK; Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe; SuperAwesome; Surrey Police; Taylor Wessing; The Breck Foundation; The Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children; The Student Room; Turner Broadcasting System Europe; University of East Anglia; University of Glasgow; University of Huddersfield; University of Southampton; WISE KIDS; Wrekin College and Zinc Network.
A press pass was reserved by a representative from MLex.
