"A major reset of the internet to make it much safer” is how Ofcom's Gill Whitehead described the communications watchdog's child safety announcements
Internet Matters, which provides advice on online safety, has just published research, external which suggests one in seven teenagers aged 16 and under have experienced a form of image-based sexual abuse, with more than half saying that a young person known to them was to blame.
And Ofcom’s own data suggests a significant minority of parents can be willing collaborators in allowing underage children to use social media sites under the minimum age
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-68838029
Can we really 'reset the internet' to make it safer for children?
People under 18 could be banned from using social media apps including TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat if the tech firms don’t follow new Ofcom rules to protect children.
But what is Ofcom and why does it want to change what people see online?
Here’s a quick guide to get you up to speed.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-68976826
Could Ofcom ban social media for under-18s?
parents of children who died after exposure to harmful online content have described the proposed new rules as "insufficient" - one told the BBC change was happening "at a snail's pace."
proposed measures to improve children's online safety
https://www.ofcom.org.uk/news-centre/2024/our-proposed-measures-to-improve-childrens-online-safety