-
New code of practice will ensure social media
companies take action against bullying and abuse
-
Innovative companies to implement online safety
from the outset
-
Children, parents and carers to be supported on
online safety
The Culture Secretary has today set out plans to ensure that
every child, adult and vulnerable person can use the internet in
a safe and secure way - making the UK the safest place to be
online. In the coming weeks a new Internet Safety Strategy will
be launched with the aim of tackling forms of bullying,
harassment and abuse that some people suffer online.
The strategy will say that what is unacceptable offline should be
unacceptable online. There will be a focus on technology
companies having a responsibility to all of their users and as a
result everyone using the internet should be empowered to manage
online risks and stay safe.
Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
said:
“The internet has been an amazing force for good and has had an
extraordinary impact on people around the globe. For the first
time ever, anyone, anywhere, with a smartphone and an internet
connection can grow their own business and connect with friends,
family members and colleagues from around the world.
But unfortunately behaviour that would not be tolerated in the
real world is increasingly happening online. This strategy will
start to address these issues and look at how we can tackle them.
As part of the strategy’s comprehensive approach to the problem,
it will include a social media code of conduct, a drive to embed
safety in the design stage of products, and ensure that children
are taught how to stay safe online.
Every child, adult and vulnerable person should be able to use
the internet in a safe and secure way – and this government is
committed to delivering this for every family across the country.
As part of the strategy the Government will work with industry to
introduce a new code of practice - giving guidance to social
media companies on what action they should take against
unacceptable behaviour online. By setting voluntary minimum
standards, the code will tackle major issues such as trolling and
abuse.
The strategy will also provide support to new innovative
businesses in the UK by embedding the principle of ‘safety by
design’ into the development of new technology. This means that
companies will need to think about internet safety during the
design process of their products so that safety features are
embedded from the outset.
To ensure that children, parents and carers can be better
supported on online safety there will also be a strong focus on
education. As part of the national curriculum schools will be
encouraged to help children stay safe online by teaching them
safety skills. Government will also work alongside the UK Council
for Internet Safety (UKCCIS) and other organisations to ensure
that online safety tools are easily available to parents.
The Internet Safety Strategy Green Paper will be launched in the
coming weeks. The strategy is part of the Digital Charter which
is being developed alongside industry.”
ENDS
