Judge us by impact of new online safety measures for children, says regulator
While some campaigners have welcomed the new protections – which include age checks to prevent children accessing pornography and other harmful content – others have branded them a 'sticking plaster'.
Charities and other organisations working in the sector of children's safety have agreed the key will be ensuring the measures are enforced, urging Ofcom to 'show its teeth'.
The changes also require platforms to ensure algorithms do not work to harm children by, for example, pushing such content on the likes of self harm and eating disorders towards them.
Actions which could be taken against firms which fail to adhere to the new codes include fines of up to £18 million or 10% of qualifying worldwide revenue, whichever is greater, and court orders potentially blocking access in the UK.
Mr Kyle has said a generation of children will not be allowed to grow up 'at the mercy of toxic algorithms' as he pledged the Government is laying the foundations for a safer, healthier, more humane online world and warned tech firms 'will be held to account' if they fail to act in line with the changes.
He told Sky News: 'I have very high expectations of the change that children will experience.
'And let me just say this to parents and children, you will experience a different internet really, for the first time in from today, moving forward than you've had in the past. And that is a big step forward.'
The measures, as part of the Online Safety Act and set to be enforced by regulator Ofcom, require online platforms to have age checks – using facial age estimation or credit card checks – if they host pornography or other harmful content such as self-harm, suicide or eating disorders.
Ofcom chief executive Dame Melanie Dawes said the regulator's research had shown half a million eight to 14-year-olds have come across pornography online in the last month alone.
When it was put to her by the BBC that one of their staff members testing out the new measures had been able to sign up to a well-known porn site on Friday using just an email address, she said sites will be 'checking patterns of email use' behind the scenes to verify users are adults.
She told Radio 4's Today programme: 'We've shown that we've got teeth and that we're prepared to use them at Ofcom. And we have secured commitments across the porn industry and from the likes of X that no other country has secured. These things can work.
'Judge us by the impact we secure. And absolutely, please do tell us if you think there's something we need to know about that isn't working because the law is very clear now.'
She also said the Government is right to be considering limits on the amount of time children can spend on social media apps.
Earlier this week, Mr Kyle said he wanted to tackle 'compulsive behaviour' and ministers are reportedly considering a two-hour limit, with curfews also under discussion.
Dame Melanie told LBC: 'I think the Government is right to be opening up this question. I think we're all a bit addicted to our phones, adults and children, obviously particularly a concern for young people. So, I think it's a good thing to be moving on to.'
Children's charities the NSPCC and Barnardo's are among those who have welcomed the new checks in place from Friday, as well as the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF).
The IWF warned the 'safeguards put in place need to be robust and meaningful' and said there is 'still more to be done', as they urged tech platforms to to build in safeguards rather than having them as 'an afterthought'.
The Molly Rose Foundation – set up by bereaved father Ian Russell after his 14-year-old daughter Molly took her own life having viewed harmful content on social media – said there is a 'lack of ambition and accountability' in the measures, and accused the regulator of choosing to 'prioritise the business needs of big tech over children's safety'.
Andy Burrows, chief executive of the foundation, told Sky News: 'We've always had a very simple test for the Online Safety Act, will it stop further young people like Molly from dying because of the harmful design of social media platforms?
'And regrettably, we just don't think it passes that test. This is a sticking plaster, not the comprehensive solution that we really need.'
Ofcom said it has also launched a monitoring and impact programme focused on some of the platforms where children spend most time including social media sites Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, gaming site Roblox and video clip website YouTube.
The sites are among those which have been asked to submit, by August 7, a review of their efforts to assess risks to children and, by September 30, scrutiny of the practical actions they are taking to keep children safe.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Glasgow Times
34 minutes ago
- Glasgow Times
Restriction zones for domestic abusers ‘a long time coming'
Ministers will seek to introduce 'restriction zones' that will limit where abusers can go, aiming to allow survivors to go about their daily lives without fear of seeing their offender. Sexual and violent offenders could be restricted to certain locations and tracked with technology, and would face jail time for breaching the conditions under new proposals. Until now exclusion zones exist to stop perpetrators from going to where their victims live. Mother-of-two and survivor Leanne said she was 'ecstatic' about the move, adding: 'I hope change is actually going to happen, and it's not just pillow talk, but if it happens, then, yeah, it's a long time coming.' She said from her experience she would have asked for restriction zones at the school where she would take her children, her local supermarket or near her family's homes. 'These are places where I was confronted, even when he had restraining orders,' the 54-year-old told the PA news agency. 'If I could say those places, and I knew I could go to those places safely, happy days, I'm protected. I've been listened to.' But she called for ministers to listen to survivors more, adding of the Government approach: 'So far, I'm loving what I'm hearing. 'Would I put a lot of faith in it? Probably not, because I don't like being let down, and I've been let down by previous governments. 'So we can only have hope.' Justice minister Alex Davies-Jones with Christine Losecaat (right), chair of the Board of Trustees at Advance, and Amy Glover (left), director of domestic abuse service at Advance (Ben Whitley/PA) The measure comes as the Government plans to overhaul the prison system to curb overcrowding, which could see violent and sexual offenders released from jail earlier, and for more criminals to serve sentences in the community. Tens of thousands of offenders would be tagged, prompting concerns from the victims' commissioner for England and Wales over the Probation Service's ability to cope with rising numbers. The Government has announced £700 million of funding until 2028/29 for the Probation Service to back up its reforms, as well as recruiting 1,300 new probation officers by March 2026. For the new restriction zones, probation officers will work with survivors to decide on banned locations for perpetrators, and will carry out detailed risk assessments. Justice minister Alex Davies-Jones announced the new measure at charity Advance in London on Friday. The victims minister said perpetrators will be GPS monitored to have real-time data about where they are going, and will be subject to 'virtual boundaries' which if breached could mean they go to prison. She said: 'We're putting really strong safeguards attached to these so that we can give victims and survivors the confidence to carry on with their everyday lives. 'We're going to be outlining more details on this as well as we're bringing in the legislation in the autumn.' Speaking at one of Advance's women's centres, director Amy Glover told PA the domestic abuse charity wants to see what the monitoring processes are, and how quickly a probation officer would intervene if a perpetrator was breaching conditions or doing something unsafe. 'What we can sometimes find when new safety measures are introduced for victim survivors, if they don't work all the time, then they can actually create a false sense of security,' she said. 'So we're just really interested to hear a bit more about how they will be rolled out and how we can ensure they're working effectively.' But of the measure, she added the reaction is 'largely positive' as it flips the current responsibility on survivors on deciding to leave their safe, small exclusion zone area, to perpetrators having more restrictions. 'The aim of these restriction zones, which we really welcome, is to flip that so now he may have a smaller area of movement. She is able to go about her daily life more.' The charity hosted the justice minister for a round table discussion about the issue, joined by survivors and reality star and campaigner Georgia Harrison. Georgia Harrison during her visit to domestic abuse charity Advance in Hammersmith, London (Ben Whitley/PA) The Love Island star, who campaigns on violence against women and girls after becoming a victim of revenge porn, backed the plan for restriction zones for offenders if implemented correctly. 'Why on earth should a survivor have to pick an area and stay there for the rest of their life?' she said. 'It makes so much more sense that a perpetrator will be subjected to a restriction zone and a survivor can go wherever they want and feel safe. 'If implemented correctly, it could just mean that not only are they actually physically safe, but they can live every single day feeling safe.' The Refuge ambassador said that knowing your perpetrator is tagged and they are being monitored is the 'best way possible' if prisons are overcrowded to figure out what works outside of jails. 'This does seem like a really good answer to one of those issues,' she said. Ms Harrison also pressed the case for social media platforms to be helping and held accountable for needing to do more to prevent abuse online, which also affects victims of domestic abuse. Ms Davies-Jones said: 'As the victims minister, I get to meet with victims and survivors every single day who have been through the unimaginable, and I want to hear their experiences directly and learn from them so that we can make the system better for them, and finally put them back at the heart of the justice system.'
South Wales Guardian
an hour ago
- South Wales Guardian
Households living near new pylons could get £250 a year off bills for a decade
New transmission cables and pylons are needed across Britain to upgrade ageing electricity networks, connect up new wind and solar farms, nuclear power plants and large scale battery storage, and reinforce the grid to cope with the planned rise in electric heat pumps and car charging in homes. The Government says around twice as much new transmission network infrastructure will be needed by 2030 as has been built in the past decade. But building new pylons and cables through the British countryside has faced a backlash, with homeowners and campaigners concerned about the visual impact and disruption to local areas and beauty spots. The Government has pledged to deliver clean energy by 2030, as part of efforts to boost the economy, cut climate emissions and reduce Britain's exposure to volatile fossil fuel prices. It hopes cash benefits to local people will reduce opposition and planning delays to the infrastructure needed to deliver the clean energy plans. The launch of the consultation comes alongside reforms which place new obligations on energy companies to improve smart meters, and improving connectivity across Scotland and northern England including rolling out 4G services to allow more households to benefit from getting meters installed. The Department of Energy Security and Net Zero is launching a consultation into proposals included in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill to provide payments to households affected by the new developments. Households within 500 metres (a third of a mile) of new or upgraded electricity transmission infrastructure could receive a discount of up to £250 via their electricity bill every year for 10 years, totalling £2,500. The discounts, which would be assigned to the home, and applied to the occupant, could be provided in instalments of £125 every six months. Minister for energy consumers Miatta Fahnbulleh said: 'As we build the infrastructure we need to deliver homegrown, affordable energy, communities must be given a stake. 'That is why we are teaming up with communities hosting new pylons to ensure they receive direct, tangible benefits. 'We are on the side of those who want Britain to get back to what it does best: building for the future, driving innovation and putting communities first.' Labour also accused opposition parties of backing higher energy bills by demanding cables be buried underground rather than attached to pylons. Describing this as 'ideological opposition' to pylons, the party pointed to analysis from the National Energy System Operator suggesting it would cost billions more and could raise household bills by up to £850. A Labour spokesperson said: 'Ideological opposition to vital energy infrastructure projects holds back our economy and pushes bills higher. Yet that is what Reform, the Tories, Lib Dems and Greens are doing when they oppose the infrastructure needed to get energy into people's homes and businesses.' Shadow energy minister Andrew Bowie said it was 'right that communities get some payback for pylons – with this scheme following initiatives started by the last Conservative government'. But he added that the public should 'be in no doubt' that more communities would see pylons built nearby 'as a consequence of Labour's net zero by 2050 zealotry'. Mr Bowie said the Government was now having to 'scramble to try and build the infrastructure needed to support their mad green projects' and urged more investment in nuclear power rather than solar. Proposals to improve smart meters from Ofgem, which are set to be introduced next year, include requirements to cut times for installation appointments and to fix meters that have stopped working in smart mode within 90 days – or provide consumers with automatic compensation. Officials said the measures would help households get lower bills through better management of their energy use and access to more flexible tariffs, such as paying less to use power off-peak or benefiting from free electricity offers when excess power is available on the grid. Charlotte Friel, director of retail pricing and systems at Ofgem, said: 'Millions of consumers rely on their smart meter every day for accurate billing, cheaper tariffs, automatic meter readings and real-time data to help keep track of spending. 'But we know many customers that want a smart meter wait too long to get one installed or face delays on repairs when it stops working – this needs to change. 'These new rules are about setting clear expectations of suppliers, incentivising them to boost smart meter standards, and protecting consumers from poor service if things go wrong.'
Leader Live
an hour ago
- Leader Live
Households living near new pylons could get £250 a year off bills for a decade
New transmission cables and pylons are needed across Britain to upgrade ageing electricity networks, connect up new wind and solar farms, nuclear power plants and large scale battery storage, and reinforce the grid to cope with the planned rise in electric heat pumps and car charging in homes. The Government says around twice as much new transmission network infrastructure will be needed by 2030 as has been built in the past decade. But building new pylons and cables through the British countryside has faced a backlash, with homeowners and campaigners concerned about the visual impact and disruption to local areas and beauty spots. The Government has pledged to deliver clean energy by 2030, as part of efforts to boost the economy, cut climate emissions and reduce Britain's exposure to volatile fossil fuel prices. It hopes cash benefits to local people will reduce opposition and planning delays to the infrastructure needed to deliver the clean energy plans. The launch of the consultation comes alongside reforms which place new obligations on energy companies to improve smart meters, and improving connectivity across Scotland and northern England including rolling out 4G services to allow more households to benefit from getting meters installed. The Department of Energy Security and Net Zero is launching a consultation into proposals included in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill to provide payments to households affected by the new developments. Households within 500 metres (a third of a mile) of new or upgraded electricity transmission infrastructure could receive a discount of up to £250 via their electricity bill every year for 10 years, totalling £2,500. The discounts, which would be assigned to the home, and applied to the occupant, could be provided in instalments of £125 every six months. Minister for energy consumers Miatta Fahnbulleh said: 'As we build the infrastructure we need to deliver homegrown, affordable energy, communities must be given a stake. 'That is why we are teaming up with communities hosting new pylons to ensure they receive direct, tangible benefits. 'We are on the side of those who want Britain to get back to what it does best: building for the future, driving innovation and putting communities first.' Labour also accused opposition parties of backing higher energy bills by demanding cables be buried underground rather than attached to pylons. Describing this as 'ideological opposition' to pylons, the party pointed to analysis from the National Energy System Operator suggesting it would cost billions more and could raise household bills by up to £850. A Labour spokesperson said: 'Ideological opposition to vital energy infrastructure projects holds back our economy and pushes bills higher. Yet that is what Reform, the Tories, Lib Dems and Greens are doing when they oppose the infrastructure needed to get energy into people's homes and businesses.' Shadow energy minister Andrew Bowie said it was 'right that communities get some payback for pylons – with this scheme following initiatives started by the last Conservative government'. But he added that the public should 'be in no doubt' that more communities would see pylons built nearby 'as a consequence of Labour's net zero by 2050 zealotry'. Mr Bowie said the Government was now having to 'scramble to try and build the infrastructure needed to support their mad green projects' and urged more investment in nuclear power rather than solar. Proposals to improve smart meters from Ofgem, which are set to be introduced next year, include requirements to cut times for installation appointments and to fix meters that have stopped working in smart mode within 90 days – or provide consumers with automatic compensation. Officials said the measures would help households get lower bills through better management of their energy use and access to more flexible tariffs, such as paying less to use power off-peak or benefiting from free electricity offers when excess power is available on the grid. Charlotte Friel, director of retail pricing and systems at Ofgem, said: 'Millions of consumers rely on their smart meter every day for accurate billing, cheaper tariffs, automatic meter readings and real-time data to help keep track of spending. 'But we know many customers that want a smart meter wait too long to get one installed or face delays on repairs when it stops working – this needs to change. 'These new rules are about setting clear expectations of suppliers, incentivising them to boost smart meter standards, and protecting consumers from poor service if things go wrong.'
