Childnet launch guide about music, film, TV and the internet
Childnet, partners in the UK Safer Internet Centre, launch online guide as research reveals extent of confusion over pirate sites for film, music and TV.
A campaign to provide clarity for parents was launched today by award-winning Upstairs, Downstairs actress, Keeley Hawes, as a new YouGov study reveals that over a third of parents are unable to spot illegal pirate sites.
Upstairs, Downstairs actress and mum of three, Keeley Hawes is teaming up with Childnet to launch the online guide designed to help parents and those who are not confident in their abilities to spot pirate websites. Music, Film, TV and the Internet provides advice on how to determine whether a site is legal or not and points to legal sources of content online.
Keeley Hawes said:
“As a mum, I try to take an active interest in the websites my children visit to get their films and music from. It’s important to know where they can access their favourite songs, films and TV programmes safely and legally both for their protection and my own peace of mind. It’s great to get this advice on this all in one place.”
Responding to the research, Lucinda Fell, Director of Policy at Childnet International, said:
“We know that many parents are concerned about keeping up with what their children are doing online and accessing digital content can be a particularly unclear area. We know from our work in schools, and as this study shows, it can be confusing to know what can and can’t be done safely and legally online.
“This advice on accessing music, film and TV content online gives parents and carers practical information and advice about accessing entertainment online, and signposts to where they and their children can enjoy this content safely and legally.”
The new advice can be found at www.childnet.com/downloading and features top tips, including:
- Don’t be fooled by well-known brands and logos. Just because a site charges for music, film or TV programmes and carries advertising from well-known brands it does not always mean it’s legal.
- Use your common sense. If the film or album you’re looking for hasn’t been officially released, it’s unlikely to be available on the internet legally.
- Find music, film and TV legally. There are hundreds of legitimate websites where you can find great value or even free music, films and TV programmes at the click of a button. To find legal music websites, check out www.whymusicmatters.org. To search for films from trusted sites, visitwww.findanyfilm.com. To verify a website and check whether it is legitimate or not, enter the URL into the search function at www.thecontentmap.com.
- Explore how to use parental controls. Parental controls can be set to block certain websites and access to peer-to-peer file sharing sites can be blocked in this way. Filtering tools can also help to filter out offensive content on websites. Because of the way filesharing services work, filtering tools that block offensive content like pornography for example are not always effective in blocking the same content when it is made available through filesharing. You can see how to set parental controls at www.childnet.com/resources/parental-controls
- Secure your wireless connection. Check your wireless connection and ensure it is secure with a password so others can’t use your connection.
See the online guide: www.childnet.com/downloading