Government announces new UK Council to improve Online Safety
The UK Government has announced it is expanding the scope of the UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS) to help improve online safety for everyone.
Guided by the Internet Safety Strategy, the UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS) will be renamed as the UK Council for Internet Safety (UKCIS), and will work to improve online safety for everyone in the UK.
The new Council will also have specific objectives reflecting children and young people’s special needs for care and protection, and will build on the pioneering work of UKCCIS in this area.
Application for UKCIS
The government has opened up the application process to appoint the most experienced and committed organisations and individuals onto the council’s executive board to improve online safety all.
The council will unite more than 200 organisations that represent law enforcement, academia, government, regulators, industry, and charities.
The council will prioritise the following areas to improve online safety for all:
- Cyberbullying and sexual exploitation
- Radicalisation and extremism
- Violence against women and girls
- Hate crime and hate speech
- Forms of discrimination against groups protected under the Equality Act
Margot James, Minister for Digital and the Creative Industries said:
“Only through collaborative action will the UK be the safest place to be online. By bringing together key stakeholders, from the tech giants to the third sector, UKCIS will be the cornerstone of this effort; driving the development of technical solutions and equipping UK citizens to tackle online harms.”
David Wright, Director of the UK Safer Internet Centre at SWGfL, said:
“To build a safer internet, we need to work across sectors and disciplines, making sure we learn from the experiences of a wide variety of citizens.
“We welcome the new opportunities provided by the UK Council for Internet Safety, and look forward to working closely with the new Council”.
The proposal for the council was outlined in the government’s Internet Safety Strategy Green Paper in October 2017.
The application process is now open and is expected at 1pm on 3 September 2018.