Byron Review's internet enforcer goes into action
Print storyPromises child net protection strategy within a year
Posted in Government, 29th September 2008 08:47 GMT
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The UK government is today launching the UK Council for Child Internet Safety with support from BT, Microsoft, Facebook and over 100 other organisations and companies.
The talking shop will deliver a "Child Internet Safety Strategy" to the Prime Minister early next year.
It will also work to improve public awareness of issues surrounding child safety online, and promote responsible online advertising to children.
The group also promises to "provide specific measures to support vulnerable children and young people, such as taking down illegal internet sites that promote harmful behaviour".
The Council for Child Internet Safety will also establish a voluntary code of practise for user-generated sites to agree a time limit for takedown of inappropriate content.
Parents worried about their children's safety on the ever-shifting net will be pleased to know that the executive committee of the quango will be meeting as regularly as once a month.
The official announcement by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith and Children's Minister Ed Balls is later today.
The move was recommended by Tanya Byron's review on protecting children from digital and online threats.
The full list of members is here, and the press release is here.
It includes Google and Yahoo!. The former has been regularly slated in the UK for being less than fast in deleting unpleasant material from its YouTube operation, defending itself by saying its users self-police the site. Still, Yahoo! and Google have some experience collaborating with governments to police material on the net. Sadly, this is mainly with the Chinese government.®
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