Online Safety Bill

[RichardCoulter]

I totally agree, but in the real world people do have them despite having those attitudes. These children need protecting from harm too.

A disabled little boy called Zach with epilepsy met the Prime Minister today. He had been featured in a fundraising for charity which was shared online and was targeted by Internet trolls who deliberately
posted abuse and gifs & videos designed to induce dangerous seizures in anyone with epilepsy.

Zach has been given an award in recognition of his fight to help to change the law to outlaw this sort of behaviour.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-66866261

---------- Post added at 20:42 ---------- Previous post was at 19:08 ----------

Social media algorithms amplify extreme content, such as misogynistic posts, which normalises harmful ideologies for young people, finds a new report led by a UCL researcher.

---------- Post added at 20:43 ---------- Previous post was at 20:42 ----------

https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2024/feb/...L%20researcher.

[RichardCoulter]

The final part of yesterday evenings Question Time was about the campaign to ban social networking for u16's.

A wide variety of views were expressed, including that safety on the internet was a parental responsibility and the response from parents.

[jfman]

Parents let their kids play 18 rated video games, so the pressure on parents to let 13/14/15 year old kids have an “adult” phone so their kids can keep up with the “coolest” kids at school would be immense.

[Pierre]

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

that safety on the internet was a parental responsibility

100%

---------- Post added at 13:00 ---------- Previous post was at 12:57 ----------

Originally Posted by jfman

Parents let their kids play 18 rated video games, so the pressure on parents to let 13/14/15 year old kids have an “adult” phone so their kids can keep up with the “coolest” kids at school would be immense.

I gave my 13yr old a phone when he started Secondary school, so age 11 at the time.

I know the passcode for the phone and will randomly check it.

He's not allowed social media (FB,X,Insta, SnapC etc)

He's allowed whatsapp, youtube

[RichardCoulter]

The call to ban adult smartphones to under 16's was covered earlier in Morning Live.

Some parents said that they used parental
controls, others said that they regularly check their children's devices. This is good, but it's the parents of those that dont that will benefit the mos if the Online Safety Act is amended to include thi

Legislators have said that the Act has been specifically designed to make it easy to strengthen or weaken parts of it or to
add new requirements such as this.

The resident doctor said that there is no reason for under 16's to have social media, but that apps like YouTube can be educational.

Facebook is available to anyone 13 or over, but anywhere where adults & children mix is bound to attract those who wish to sexually exploit or otherwise harm children.

---------- Post added at 14:30 ---------- Previous post was at 14:06 ----------

A far right extremist called Kieron Turner from Lancashire who posted statements calling Thomas Mair (the murderer of Jo Cox MP) a 'hero' has been sent to prison for two years and eight months.

[mrmistoffelees]

Oh joy another professional commenting on something outside of their remit.

You do realise adults and kids can mix on YouTube right ?

Every service can have educational content…….

[Sirius]

There is no way they will be able to stop under 16's using adult phones. It does not take a lot to get around age controls and Ebay Amazon or Facebook marketplace will be more than willing to sell a phone to anyone that asks.You can also bet your bottom dollar that should that type of phone we required by law the mobile phone makers will put a premium on the cost.

[RichardCoulter]

Originally Posted by mrmistoffelees

Oh joy another professional commenting on something outside of their remit.

You do realise adults and kids can mix on YouTube right ?

Every service can have educational content…….

Sounds like Dr Ranj isn't aware of that.

Perhaps they will be able allow children to use YouTube, but restrict adults from contacting them and restrict any content innapropriate for those u16??

[jfman]

Perhaps they’ll just leave the status quo since the numbers of people meaningfully harmed are infinitely small.

[Pierre]

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

The call to ban adult smartphones to under 16's was covered earlier in Morning Live.

What's an "adult" smartphone?

---------- Post added at 16:17 ---------- Previous post was at 16:16 ----------

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

and restrict any content innapropriate for those u16??

Already exists.

[Sirius]

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

Sounds like Dr Ranj isn't aware of that.

Perhaps they will be able allow children to use YouTube, but restrict adults from contacting them and restrict any content innapropriate for those u16??

And how would they do that as they have failed miserably for years and i don't see any technical system that cannot be circumnavigated. If you ask me as a very well informed person as far as telecoms is involved this is all just pie in the sky to make it look like they are doing something to placate those who have nothing better to do than get offended because others are not offended and they think they should be. I can assure you that the more they block and ban stuff the more the clever people will get around it.

I will give you an example. They bring in ULEZ zones so the first thing you see is a massive increase in number plate cloning. Ask any traffic copper how bad it has become.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/cars/fea...owing-problem/

Again my point put a ban or cost to something and someone will always find a way around it.

[jfman]

Originally Posted by Sirius

And how would they do that as they have failed miserably for years and i don't see any technical system that cannot be circumnavigated. If you ask me as a very well informed person as far as telecoms is involved this is all just pie in the sky to make it look like they are doing something to placate those who have nothing better to do than get offended because others are not offended and they think they should be. I can assure you that the more they block and ban stuff the more the clever people will get around it.

I will give you an example. They bring in ULEZ zones so the first thing you see is a massive increase in number plate cloning. Ask any traffic copper how bad it has become.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/cars/fea...owing-problem/

Again my point put a ban or cost to something and someone will always find a way around it.

And all these suggestions have very easy workarounds. Unless you introduce the most draconian measures going gathering biometrics from the entire population and only allowing access to certain sites or services with biometrics confirmed by a device.

[tweetiepooh]

Of course you can get round things but if your child wants you to pay for it you can put the rules both technological and personal in place. You can make the phone part of a family group you control and place restrictions on the device as you want. The controls could be at the user account level as well as the device.

Any measure like this just makes an adult phone a status symbol which plenty of parents would readily buy for their kids regardless. It is pointless and unworkable.

[mrmistoffelees]

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

Sounds like Dr Ranj isn't aware of that.

Perhaps they will be able allow children to use YouTube, but restrict adults from contacting them and restrict any content innapropriate for those u16??

Sounds like Dr. Ranj needs to pipe down then