Government unveil Online Harms White Paper
Today the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and the Home Office published the Online Harms White Paper, outlining government proposals to make the internet a safer place.
As the UK Safer Internet Centre, a partnership of three leading UK charities – Childnet International, the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) and SWGfL – our mission is to make the internet a better place for children and young people.
The three directors of the Centre, Will Gardner, Susie Hargreaves and David Wright have responded to the report saying:
“We welcome this report and the opportunity it gives us to use our expertise from our partnership of three organisations to help shape the future of online regulation. We encourage others to also take this moment to listen to children and young people, parents and experts to ensure that the outcome is truly reflective of what children need in the digital age.”
The UK Safer Internet Centre, co-funded by the EU, delivers a wide range of activity to promote the safe and responsible use of technology by children and young people and in this role:
- coordinates Safer Internet Day in the UK, reaching millions every year
- founded and operates an online safety helpline for professionals working with children in the UK, including schools, police officers, social workers and health professionals
- operates the UK’s hotline for reporting online child sexual abuse imagery
- national reporting hub for harmful content online
- develops new advice and educational resources for children, parents and carers and teachers to meet emerging trends in the fast-changing online environment
- delivers education sessions for children, parents, carers, teachers and the wider children’s workforce, including free Online Safety Live events across the UK
- trains children and young people to be peer educators and champions for the safe and positive use of technology
- shapes policy at school, industry and government level, both in the UK and internationally, and facilitates youth panels to give young people a voice on these issues.