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Timid new online safety laws won’t prevent more tragedies like the death of my daughter Molly | Ian Russell
Ofcom’s cautious approach leaves vulnerable young people exposed to online threats such as suicide and self-harmTomorrow should be a watershed moment for children and families as the Online Safety Act comes into effect. But regrettably, it feels as if we are going backwards. The regulator Ofcom has decided to deploy timidity where ambition is needed. Rather than focusing on reducing harm and preventing tragedies, its approach seems aimed at minimising the economic costs for tech firms cleaning up the harm they have caused.Instead of prioritising the fundamental principles of child safety, one minister indicated that the codes coming into force were consulted on to make them “judicial review proof”. Legal caution trumps children’s safety.Ian Russell is an internet safety campaigner and chair of the Molly Rose FoundationDo you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here. Continue reading...
Ofcom’s cautious approach leaves vulnerable young people exposed to online threats such as suicide and self-harm
Tomorrow should be a watershed moment for children and families as the Online Safety Act comes into effect. But regrettably, it feels as if we are going backwards. The regulator Ofcom has decided to deploy timidity where ambition is needed. Rather than focusing on reducing harm and preventing tragedies, its approach seems aimed at minimising the economic costs for tech firms cleaning up the harm they have caused.
Instead of prioritising the fundamental principles of child safety, one minister indicated that the codes coming into force were consulted on to make them “judicial review proof”. Legal caution trumps children’s safety.
Ian Russell is an internet safety campaigner and chair of the Molly Rose Foundation
Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here. Continue reading...
