Internet Safety Strategy
The Government's Internet Safety Strategy Consultation closed on Dec 7th and couldn't have come at a more appropriate time, as all the concerns about the power of social media platforms emerged in the press and political circles, with everything from election rigging to online bullying coming under scrutiny as never before.
CMF has been voicing concerns for several years and asking questions about whether it's impossible to make platforms on the internet that are regularly used by kids into safer places (even if they are not always acknowledged as users by the companies concerned). We believe a combination of a duty of care, human and machine watchfulness, and media literacy and personal responsibility in the users, could create a place that is at least as safe as the high streets in our towns.
You can see our submission to the Government consultation here.
The year ahead looks like a busy one, and the answers are never simple. Any voluntary or regulatory controls will need to take into account that the internet is a vast and wonderful resource for children and young people, and it is now the default connector of their daily lives. CMF will continue to contribute a balanced view of the opportunities and challenges presented to young people by digital life, as these big questions are addressed by the providers, parents, the press and politicians over the months ahead.
An Impression of The Children’s Global Media Summit 2017 Parenting for a Digital Future: 2017 Roundup