Labour ministers admit there is 'more to do' to toughen up online safety laws after Ofcom accused of being too soft on tech firms
Ministers last night admitted that there is 'more to do' to toughen up online safety laws after Ofcom was accused of being too soft on tech firms.
Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said the Government was committed to 'building on' the flagship Online Safety Act passed by the Conservatives last year.
Charities have pushed for the legislation, which is intended to make social media platforms safer by protecting children from harmful content, to be strengthened further.
More than 20 groups including the NSPCC, Barnado's and the Molly Rose Foundation have said Ofcom is failing to fully implement the law.
They claimed draft rules issued by the regulator fail to 'bring about the changes that children need and deserve, or that parents, parliamentarians and civil society expect'.
Ministers last night admitted that there is 'more to do' to toughen up online safety laws after Ofcom was accused of being too soft on tech firms
Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said the Government was committed to 'building on' the flagship Online Safety Act passed by the Conservatives last year
'We must see a shift in the regulator's approach to ensure it is implementing a regulatory regime which prioritises children's safety and can grapple with the full scale of risk to children online.
'Ofcom must go further and use its full powers to demand bold and meaningful change from tech companies.'
Mr Kyle told The Times that online safety was an 'absolute priority' for ministers.
Branding Ofcom's rules a 'significant and positive shift' in the area, he added: 'We are committed to working with campaigners, charities, industry, and the regulator to achieve this goal.
'I met many of these campaigners in my first week as a cabinet minister and I commit to working with them and Ofcom to ensure the act is delivering the protections it promised and building on it where necessary.'
In May, Ofcom drafted guidelines warning social media platforms that they could be named and shamed — and banned for under-18s — if they fail to comply with new online safety rules.
But child safety advocates have suggested that there are significant loopholes in the codes of practice issued.
Measures that could be taken include turning off notifications for young children, banning streaks or limiting the number of videos they can see in a day.
They have also called for firms to address the risk around live-streaming, which carries a greater risk of exploitation.
In May, Ofcom drafted guidelines warning social media platforms that they could be named and shamed — and banned for under-18s — if they fail to comply with new online safety rules, but child safety advocates want the new legislation to go further
Dame Melanie Dawes (pictured), the head of Ofcom, said the regulator was looking at how AI could help to detect harmful content online
Dame Melanie Dawes, chief executive of Ofcom, said: 'As we consult on these proposals, we're listening carefully to all the feedback we receive from valued experts - including children themselves.
'We'll finalise our 'first edition' codes within a year so we can start enforcing the new laws quickly.
'And this is just the start — we're already looking at how we can strengthen them in the future as our evidence grows, such as using AI to detect harmful content.
'If platforms fail in their duties to protect children, we'll have a broad range of enforcement powers at our disposal to ensure they're held fully accountable for the safety of their users.'
Ofcom's consultation on the draft codes of practice ends today.
