The UK government wants to implement 'online safety laws' to regulate the internet

guest · May 21, 2018

The UK government wants to implement 'online safety laws' to regulate the internet
The UK wants to curb cyberbullying and child exploitation
May 21, 2018
https://www.techspot.com/news/74726-uk-government-wants-use-online-safety-laws-regulate.html

According to a press release issued by the UK government, "six in ten people" say they've witnessed inappropriate or harmful content online, and "four in ten people" say they've experienced online abuse.

UK Digital Secretary Matt Hancock feels the "Wild West" nature of the internet is dangerous and in need of heavier regulation. As such, the country will introduce new online safety laws to protect users.

Specifics regarding how these laws might be implemented are scarce. The categories of harm the government hopes to address with these laws are somewhat broad and might lead to future censorship concerns.

Regardless, a White Paper laying out the planned legislation will be published later this year, so we won't have to wait long to find out what the UK is planning.
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RockLobster · May 21, 2018

I think the reason so many turned to the internet in the first place is because real life is so constrained and restricted by laws and rules preventing people from just being human beings, saying what they think and expressing opininions. The internet gave people a semblance of freedom so of course, now the authoritarian control freaks are all over it.

guest · Sep 3, 2018

UK broadcasters urge the government to create a social media watchdog
The BBC, Sky, BT and others made the recommendation in a joint letter.
September 3, 2018
https://www.engadget.com/2018/09/03/uk-broadcasters-government-social-media-regulator/

In a letter to The Sunday Telegraph, executives from the BBC, ITV and Channel 4, as well as Sky, BT and TalkTalk, called for a new, independent regulator to help tackle fake news, [...]

"There is an urgent need for independent scrutiny of the decisions taken, and greater transparency," the letter continued. "This is not about censoring the internet: it is about making the most popular internet platforms safer, by ensuring there is accountability and transparency over the decisions these private companies are already taking."

In an interview with ITV's Robert Peston, he added that new internet safety laws would be ready "in the next couple of years."

Broadcasting and communications executives believe a new, dedicated regulator would be more effective. The letter chimes with comments made by Sharon White, the head of the UK's media and telecoms regulator Ofcom, in July.
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XenMan · Sep 4, 2018

"...not about censoring the internet: it is about making the most popular internet platforms safer..."

I’m kind of onboard with this. It would be nice to have an evolution where we have a system like TOR Net for the “Wild West” internet where you take your chances, but mainstream net is accountable and trackable to prevent harm.

As someone who has been a victim with tangible damage from people hiding behind anonymity, I welcome this, and can see significant legislation and a successful precident making it actually happen in the future.

guest · Jan 27, 2019

Mental health: UK could ban social media over suicide images, minister warns
January 27, 2019
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-47019912

In a letter sent to social media companies, the minister "welcomed" steps already taken by firms but said "more action is urgently needed".

He wrote: "It is appalling how easy it still is to access this content online and I am in no doubt about the harm this material can cause, especially for young people.
"It is time for internet and social media providers to step up and purge this content once and for all."

Mr Hancock explained: "Lots of parents feel powerless in the face of social media. But we are not powerless. Both Government and social media providers have a duty to act.
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trott3r · Jan 27, 2019

Lots of parents feel helpless as they either dont have the time to maketheir own home internet safer or they are too lazy.
Off loading responsibility to government which is dangerous as history tells us.

Daveski17 · Jan 27, 2019

*Han Solo voice* 'I have a bad feeling about this.'

guest · Jan 28, 2019

mood said: ↑

Mental health: UK could ban social media over suicide images, minister warns
January 27, 2019
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-47019912
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Facebook pledges to do more on self-harm
January 28, 2019
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-47029082

Sir Nick was responding to the case of 14-year-old Molly Russell, who took her own life after viewing distressing self-harm images on Instagram.
He added that some experts say it is wise to keep certain images up because they can also help people find support.

"We're already taking steps soon to blur images, block a number of hashtags that have come to light, and thirdly to continue to work... with the Samaritans and other organisations."
However he added that the advice of these experts is not to ban all content of this nature.
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guest · Apr 8, 2019

Britain just laid out plans to end the internet's Wild West days and take a world-leading role in regulating big tech
April 8, 2019
https://www.businessinsider.com/dcm...aws-to-regulate-social-media-2019-4?r=US&IR=T

The internet's days as the Wild West may be numbered.

The British government has laid out its blueprint for groundbreaking new laws that will regulate social media, search, messaging, and even file-sharing platforms for content that causes "online harm." That's an umbrella term that includes content relating to sexual abuse, violence, hate speech and terrorism, self-harm, and underage sexting.

The proposals, put forward in a white paper by the UK's Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, include a new independent regulator that would police these platforms for harmful content.
Tech firms would also need to obey a "duty of care," which would require them to take steps to keep users safe and to deal with illegal or harmful content.
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Daveski17 · Apr 8, 2019

Quick, Blunder Woman, get the smoke and mirrors out and everyone will conveniently forget about Brexit.

guest · Aug 12, 2019

Tech firms face fines for harmful videos from regulator Ofcom
The government is considering giving powers to fine video-sharing apps and websites to the UK's media regulator
August 13, 2019
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-49317390

The proposal would see Ofcom able to impose multi-million pound fines if it judges the platforms have failed to prevent youngsters seeing pornography, violence and other harmful material.
The regulator would take charge of the matter from 19 September 2020.

The Telegraph newspaper was first to report the scheme. It said that the crackdown was "quietly" agreed before Parliament's summer break.

"These new rules are an important first step in regulating video-sharing online, and we'll work closely with the government to implement them," a spokeswoman told the BBC.
"We also support plans to go further and legislate for a wider set of protections, including a duty of care for online companies towards their users."
"The immediacy of livestreaming can make children more vulnerable to being coerced by abusers, who may capture the footage, share it and use it as blackmail," commented Andy Burrows, head of the organisation's child safety online policy.
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trott3r · Aug 12, 2019

you got to wonder why they have to do this on the quiet.
Just like an authoritarion state.

Daveski17 · Aug 12, 2019

Does this include an app I'd like to create that removes Boris Johnson's face from any page I open on the internet?

guest · Feb 12, 2020

Regulator Ofcom to have more powers over UK social media
February 11, 2020
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-51446665

This is the government's first response to the Online Harms consultation it carried out in the UK in 2019, which received 2,500 replies.
The new rules will apply to firms hosting user-generated content, including comments, forums and video-sharing - that is likely to include Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter, YouTube and TikTok.

Children's charity the NSPCC welcomed the news.

"Too many times social media companies have said: 'We don't like the idea of children being abused on our sites, we'll do something, leave it to us,'" said chief executive Peter Wanless.
"Thirteen self-regulatory attempts to keep children safe online have failed.
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guest · Jun 29, 2020

Lords urge government to take immediate action on online harms
June 29, 2020
https://www.computerweekly.com/news...ment-to-take-immediate-action-on-Online-Harms

The report, Digital technology and the resurrection of trust, makes 45 recommendations which, if implemented, could help restore public trust in government institutions and limit the power that has been ceded to a “few unelected and unaccountable digital corporations”, primarily Facebook and Google, it said.

The proposed sanctions that Ofcom should be able to impose include fines of up to 4% of an organisation’s global turnover, and the ability to enforce internet service provider (ISP) blocking for serial offenders, the committee said.

The committee also called on the government to appoint a digital ombudsman for content moderation, which would provide a point of appeal for people who feel let down by technology platforms.

“This ombudsman’s decisions should be binding on the platform and, in turn, create clear standards to be expected for future decisions for UK users,” said the report. “These standards should be adjudicated by Ofcom, with platforms able to make representations on how they are applied within their moderation processes.”
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On top of this, said the committee, Ofcom should be given the power – and be properly resourced – to conduct periodic audits of the platforms’ algorithmic capabilities, which includes access to the systems’ training data and comprehensive information from the platforms on what content is being recommended.

“Ofcom should have the power to request any data relevant to ensure that platforms are acting in accordance with their duty of care,” it said.

The government gave its initial response to the whitepaper in February 2020, when it put forward the proposal for Ofcom to be the online harms regulator. But in the government’s own press release announcing its initial response, it said the full response would be “published in the spring”.
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guest · Sep 13, 2020

Cyberflashing law reforms set to come to England and Wales
September 11, 2020
https://www.neowin.net/news/cyberflashing-law-reforms-set-to-come-to-england-and-wales

The Law Commission for England and Wales has published proposals to better protect victims from harmful online behaviour. The proposals suggest an alteration to the Sexual Offences Act 2003 to cover Cyberflashing (unsolicited nude images and videos) and reforms to the Malicious Communications Act (MCA) 1988 and the Communications Act (CA) 2003 to criminalise pile-on harassment.

Pile-on harassment is defined by the Law Commission as several different individuals sending harassing communications to a victim. The proposed changes include communication such as emails, social media posts, and WhatsApp messages. It also includes communications over Bluetooth or a local intranet which aren’t yet covered by the Communications Act 2003.
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Law Commission: Greater protections for victims of online abuse proposed by Law Commission

In the last two decades, the rise of the internet and social media has created extraordinary new opportunities to engage with one another on an unprecedented scale.
However, the existing communications offences have not kept pace with changes in how we communicate: in some cases they fail to address harmful behaviours online, and in others they risk interfering with our rights to freedom of expression.

The proposals, laid out in the Law Commission’s consultation paper, aim to ensure that the law is clearer and effectively targets serious harm and criminality arising from online abuse.
This is balanced with the need to better protect the right to freedom of expression.
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guest · Nov 21, 2020

Facebook's Instagram 'failed self-harm responsibilities'
November 20, 2020
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-55004693

Facebook's own records show its Instagram app removed almost 80% less graphic content about suicide and self-harm between April and June this year than in the previous quarter.

Facebook said it prioritised the removal of the most harmful content.

"We want to do everything we can to keep people safe on Instagram and we can report that from July to September we took action on 1.3m pieces of suicide and self-harm content, over 95% of which we found proactively," said Instagram's head of public policy Tara Hopkins in a statement.
'Not surprised'
After the death of the teenager Molly Russell, Facebook committed itself to taking down more graphic posts, pictures and even cartoons about self-harm and suicide.
But the NSPCC said the reduction in takedowns had "exposed young users to even greater risk of avoidable harm during the pandemic".
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The UK government's promised Online Harms Bill would impose a statutory duty of care on social media providers and create a new regulator.
But it has been much delayed and it is thought legislation won't be introduced until next year.

Ian Russell, Molly's father, said there was a need for urgent action.
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The NSPCC is more forthright.

"Sadly, young people who needed protection from damaging content were let down by Instagram's steep reduction in takedowns of harmful suicide and self-harm posts," said Andy Burrows, the charity's head of child safety online policy.
"The government has a chance to fix this by ensuring the Online Harms Bill gives a regulator the tools and sanctions necessary to hold big tech to account."
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guest · Dec 7, 2020

Encrypted messaging puts children at risk, CCE warns
December 7, 2020
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-55222499

More than a third of children surveyed for the report said they had received a message that made them feel uncomfortable.
One in 10 talk to strangers online, and one in 20 have shared videos or photos of themselves with strangers.

Ms Longfield said the report "shows how vigilant parents need to be, but also how the tech giants are failing to regulate themselves and so are failing to keep children safe".
She is calling on the government to make the big tech firms responsible when it introduces the long-delayed Online Harms Bill, with large fines for companies that breach their "duty of care".
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A year and a half after the publication of the Online Harms White Paper, there is still no clarity about when it will be turned into law and what sort of sanctions might be in it.
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guest · Dec 13, 2020

Report: UK aims to regulate social media companies over content removal
December 13, 2020
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com...over-content-removal/articleshow/79702086.cms

UK ministers will announce plans on Tuesday for a statutory duty of care, which will be enforced by Ofcom, the broadcasting regulator, the newspaper reported, without citing a source. Firms that fail to meet the obligations may face multimillion-pound fines or be blocked from operating in Britain, according to the report.
The newspaper cited a source as saying that the British government was concerned that social media companies were removing legitimate content on grounds that it was controversial rather than because it was harmful or inaccurate.
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guest · Oct 1, 2021

Suicide and self-harm content is scarily easy to find on social media
October 1, 2021
https://www.cnet.com/health/persona...tent-is-scarily-easy-to-find-on-social-media/

When Ian Russell's daughter took her own life in 2017, the grieving father turned to the teenager's social media accounts to search for answers.
Since Molly's death, Russell has strongly urged social media companies to do more to tackle content encouraging self harm and suicide, which he says contributed to his daughter's death.

The UK resident has called on social media companies to provide researchers with data so they can study the potential dangers of this type of content and has advocated for government regulation.

"As time passes, it's increasingly my belief that platforms don't really know what to do, so they move when pushed to do something," Russell said. "It's often a PR exercise."
Pressure like Russell's is mounting in the wake of a series of recent stories in The Wall Street Journal reporting that Facebook, the world's biggest social network, is aware of the harm its services can inflict on users' mental health but downplays the risks of its services in public.
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One internal Instagram study cited by the Journal found that 13% of British users and 6% of American users traced the desire to kill themselves to Instagram. Facebook has disputed the Journal stories, saying that the paper mischaracterized the company's research and that teens also have positive experiences on social media.
The company shared some of its research ahead of Thursday's hearing. On Monday, the company said it would pause development of a children's version of Instagram.

TikTok, the short-form video app, has also struggled to handle suicide content.
Still, TikTokers have used other hashtags or language to talk about suicide, making it tougher to moderate this content.
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Pinterest includes exercises to cope with feelings of sadness, as well as the number for the National Suicide Prevention Hotline. Results for suicide and self-harm aren't shown.
With the help of AI, Pinterest said it's seen an almost 80% drop in reports for self-harm content since April 2019.

"Our work here is never finished, because we don't want any harmful content on Pinterest," a company spokesperson said.

For Ian Russell, the work is far too late. The depressing content that Pinterest and other social media companies showed Molly was far too intense for a teenager, he said.
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guest · Oct 6, 2021

TikTok, Snapchat, Vimeo, Twitch to Be Governed by U.K.’s Harmful Content Guidelines
October 5, 2021
https://variety.com/2021/digital/global/ofcom-harmful-online-content-guidelines-ofcom-1235081985/

Online video sharing platforms such as TikTok, Snapchat, Vimeo and Twitch have to follow new guidelines set out by U.K. media regulator Ofcom to keep people better protected from harmful content.

The guidance, published on Wednesday, requires platforms to provide clear rules around uploading content; have easy reporting and complaint processes; and restrict access to adult sites. The rules are effective immediately.

“Uploading content relating to terrorism, child sexual abuse material or racism is a criminal offence,” the guidance states. “Platforms should have clear, visible terms and conditions which prohibit this – and enforce them effectively.”
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Platforms established in the U.K. are required by law to take measures to protect under-18s from potentially harmful video content; and all users from videos likely to incite violence or hatred, as well as certain types of criminal content.

Ofcom is empowered to investigate and take action against platforms which are found to be in breach of the guidelines.
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guest · Aug 5, 2022

The UK Online Safety Bill Attacks Free Speech and Encryption
August 5, 2022

The UK government has had more than a year to revise its Online Safety Bill into a proposal that wouldn’t harm users’ basic rights. It has failed to do so, and the bill should be scrapped. The current bill is a threat to free expression, and it undermines the encryption that we all rely on for security and privacy online.

The bill empowers the UK’s Office of Communications (OFCOM) to levy heavy fines or even block access to sites that offend people. We said last year that those powers raise serious concerns about freedom of expression. Since then, the bill has been amended, and it’s gotten worse.
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Section 10 of the revised bill even authorizes jail time for anyone—up to two years—for anyone whose social media message could cause “psychological harm amounting to at least serious distress.”
The message doesn’t even have to cause harm. If the authorities believe that the the offender intended to cause harm, and that there was a substantial risk of harm, that’s enough for a prosecution.
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stapp · Feb 24, 2023

The encrypted-messaging app Signal has said it would stop providing services in the UK if a new law undermined encryption.
If forced to weaken the privacy of its messaging system under the Online Safety Bill, the organisation "would absolutely, 100% walk" Signal president Meredith Whittaker told the BBC.
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-64584001

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