Latest news with #OnlineSafety
7NEWS
15 hours ago
- Business
- 7NEWS
YouTube to be included in government's new under-16s social media legislation
The Albanese Government will include YouTube in its world-first under-16 social media laws that come into effect at the end of the year. Proposed age-restricted social media platforms originally included Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and X, but not YouTube as the Government believed it had educational benefits. But eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant intervened following a survey of adolescents, finding YouTube can be just as harmful as other sites. Online Safety (Age-Restricted Social Media Platforms) Rules will be tabled in Federal Parliament on Wednesday to specify which types of online services will not be captured by the social media legislation, including online gaming, messaging apps, health and education services. The government said these types of online services have been excluded from the new minimum age obligations because they pose less of a risk to under 16s, or are regulated under different laws. From December 10, 2025, all services that meet the definition of 'age-restricted social media platform' in the Act, and are not excluded in the rules, will be subject to the social media minimum age law including fines up to $49.5 million. 'We have parents' backs' The prime minister says his government is making it clear that it stands on the side of families. 'Social media has a social responsibility and there is no doubt that Australian kids are being negatively impacted by online platforms so I'm calling time on it,' Albanese said. 'Social media is doing social harm to our children and I want Australian parents to know that we have their backs.' Communications Minister Anika Wells said the government 'is giving kids a reprieve from the persuasive and pervasive pull of social media while giving parents peace of mind'. 'We want kids to know who they are before platforms assume who they are,' Wells said. 'There is no one perfect solution when it comes to keeping young Australians safer online – but the social media minimum age will make a significantly positive difference to their wellbeing. 'The rules are not a set and forget, they are a set and support. 'There are heavy penalties for companies who fail to take reasonable steps to prevent underage account holders onto their services of up to $49.5 million. 'There's a place for social media, but there's not a place for predatory algorithms targeting children.' 'Voices against the cod cannot be ignored' The Opposition is now questioning the advice and authority of the eSafety Commissioner. Shadow communications spokesperson Melissa McIntosh said 'the remit of the eSafety Commission without adequate safeguards is now in question.' 'Requiring adults to log in to an account to browse the internet is taking the eSafety Commissioner's power to a new level which needs to be scrutinised,' McIntosh said. 'The voices against the code cannot be ignored and whilst the intent is to protect young people from harms it is essential that this is balanced with a person's right to privacy and protection of their personal freedoms.'
BBC News
19 hours ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Nigel Farage urges minister to apologise for Jimmy Savile online safety claim
Nigel Farage has urged Technology Secretary Peter Kyle to "do the right thing and apologise" after he suggested that by opposing the government's online safety law, the Reform UK leader was on the side of sex offenders like Jimmy Savile. Reform has said it would scrap the new law, arguing it does not protect children and suppresses free speech. Kyle told Sky News: "Make no mistake if people like Jimmy Savile were alive today he would be perpetrating his crimes online - and Nigel Farage is on their side."Farage called the minister's comments "disgusting," while his Reform colleague Zia Yusuf said the claim was "one of the most appalling things I've seen in my political life". Kyle refused to back down after Farage's criticism, saying on social media: "If you want to overturn the Online Safety Act you are on the side of predators. It is as simple as that."Savile was a BBC TV personality who presented shows such as Top of the Pops and Jim'll Fix It but after his death it emerged he had been one of the UK's most prolific sexual predators, using his celebrity status to target children and young people. Last week, the new online safety rules came into force aimed at preventing children from seeing harmful or inappropriate include requiring tech firm to put in place stricter checks for people accessing age-restricted content and taking quick action when harmful content is identified. Failure to comply with the rules could see companies facing fines of up to £18m or 10% of the firm's turnover, whichever is greater. The age verification measures appear to have driven a sharp increase in the numbers downloading virtual private networks (VPN) which disguise user's location online and could make it possible to avoid age checks. Over the weekend Reform's Yusuf said: "Sending all of these kids onto VPNs is a far worse situation, and sends them much closer to the dark web, where the real dangers lie." He added that one of Reform's first acts in government would be to repeal the Online Safety to Sky News, Kyle acknowledged that "some people are finding their way round" the rules. However, he said the measures were a "huge, giant, unprecedented step forward in stopping harmful content finding its way into children's feeds"."If we can take a big step forward, 70, 80, maybe even 90% forward when it comes to stopping harmful content getting into kids' feeds - I'll bank that, that's a good day at work."That 10% that remains - we will go on figuring it out as we go forward."I see that Nigel Farage is already saying he is going to overturn these laws."We have people out there who are extreme pornographers, peddling hate, peddling violence - Nigel Farage is on their side."Make no mistake if people like Jimmy Savile were alive today he would be perpetrating his crimes online - and Nigel Farage is on their side."Speaking to the same channel, Reform UK's Yusuf said: "That is one of the most outrageous and disgusting things a politician has said in the political arena that I can remember, and that is quite a high bar. He claimed Labour "have no idea how the internet works and that this act, despite its name, will make children less safe"."They are deeply unserious about child safety and levelling that accusation about Jimmy Savile denigrates the victims of Jimmy Savile," he added.
Telegraph
2 days ago
- Business
- Telegraph
Musk brands online safety crackdown ‘suppression of the people'
Elon Musk has said Britain's online safety laws amount to 'suppression of the people', as he joined a backlash against rules to protect children from adult content. 'Its purpose is suppression of the people,' Mr Musk, who has described himself as a free speech absolutist, wrote on X over the weekend. The Tesla founder also retweeted support of a petition to repeal the Online Safety Act, which has garnered more than 330,000 signatures. It's purpose is suppression of the people — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 26, 2025 X, owned by the billionaire entrepreneur, introduced age checks to stop children from watching pornography and other inappropriate content last week, shortly before the rules came into force. However, the platform has been a vocal critic of the new regime. Mr Musk's latest comments come after he has frequently attacked British policing of the internet, including the case of individuals who were arrested and prosecuted for posts related to last summer's riots. Ofcom started enforcing measures in the Online Safety Act last Friday, meaning that websites are now required to check people's ages before showing them porn or other inappropriate content. The measures are designed to protect children, but every person accessing major adult websites must also verify their age through a credit card, bank account, or by using their email or phone number. Some social media sites have also deployed facial age recognition, in which they record a short video selfie to estimate how old users are. The rules have led to a surge in downloads of virtual private networks (VPNs), which mask a user's internet address to appear as if they are in another country. Four of the top six apps on the iPhone App Store in the UK were VPNs on Monday. X introduced age checks last Thursday, saying it was doing so because it was 'required by regulations'. Donald Trump is reportedly pressing Britain to water down the laws as part of discussions around the UK-US trade deal. Sir Keir Starmer is poised to meet the US president on Monday. Zia Yusuf, Reform UK's former chairman, has also criticised the legislation's requirements to protect people from 'psychological harm', saying it 'plunges Britain into an authoritarian surveillance state'. Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, appeared to criticise the laws as well, posting an image of an article supporting the laws by Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, with the caption: 'The Conservatives should be in hiding. Never forget who they really are.'
CNA
4 days ago
- Business
- CNA
UK starts online checks to stop children accessing harmful content
LONDON: New UK age verification rules aimed at preventing children from accessing harmful online content came into effect on Friday (July 25), with campaigners calling the move a long-overdue breakthrough in regulating the internet. The rules, part of the 2023 Online Safety Act, require websites and apps to verify users' ages using tools such as facial imagery or credit cards. Britain's media regulator Ofcom will oversee enforcement. About 6,000 pornography websites have agreed to apply the measures, according to Ofcom chief executive Melanie Dawes, who said other platforms must also ensure children are protected from illegal content, including pornography, hate speech and graphic violence. 'We've done the work that no other regulator has done,' Dawes told BBC Radio. 'These systems can work. We've researched that.' Ofcom estimates that 500,000 children aged between eight and 14 viewed pornography online last month alone. STRICTER RESPONSIBILITIES FOR TECH FIRMS The new measures target content related not just to pornography but also suicide, self-harm, eating disorders, and other risks. Tech companies now have legal duties to safeguard minors and adults online or face sanctions. Firms that violate the rules could be fined up to £18 million (US$23 million) or 10 per cent of their global revenue, whichever is higher, according to the UK government. Senior executives could also face criminal charges for failing to comply with Ofcom's data requests. After a preparatory period for the industry and regulator, the rules now take full effect. Children will 'experience a different internet for the first time,' said Technology Secretary Peter Kyle. Speaking to Sky News, he said he had 'very high expectations' for the changes. In a separate interview on parenting website Mumsnet, Kyle apologised to young people who have already been exposed to harmful content. 'I want to apologise to any kid who's over 13 who has not had any of these protections,' he said. FURTHER PLANS UNDERWAY Rani Govender of child protection charity NSPCC called the changes 'a really important milestone,' saying it was right for tech companies to be held accountable. 'Children are frequently stumbling across this harmful and dangerous content,' she told BBC News. 'There will be loopholes, but it's still right that we're introducing much stronger rules to make sure that that can't continue to happen.' Prime Minister Keir Starmer's government is also weighing additional rules, including a proposed daily two-hour limit on social media for children under 16.
France 24
5 days ago
- France 24
UK starts online checks to stop children accessing harmful content
Under the new rules, to be enforced by Britain's media watchdog, websites and apps hosting potentially harmful content will be held responsible for age checks using measures such as facial imagery and credit cards. Around 6,000 pornography sites have agreed to implement the curbs, according to Melanie Dawes, chief executive of British regulator Ofcom. Other platforms such as X, which is facing a dispute over similar restrictions in Ireland, must also protect children from illegal pornographic, hateful and violent content, she noted. "We've done the work that no other regulator has done," Dawes told BBC Radio. "These systems can work. We've researched that," she said. Around 500,000 youngsters aged eight to 14 encountered pornography online last month, according to Ofcom. The long-awaited new rules, which aim to prevent minors from encountering content relating to suicide, self-harm, eating disorders as well as porn, stem from a 2023 Online Safety Act. It imposes legal responsibilities on tech companies to better safeguard children and adults online and mandates sanctions for those who fall short. Rule-breakers face fines of up to £18 million ($23 million) or 10 percent of their worldwide revenue, "whichever is greater", according to the government. Criminal action can also be taken against senior managers who fail to ensure companies follow Ofcom information requests. The measures are coming into force now after the sector and the regulator were given time to prepare. 'Different internet' Children will "experience a different internet for the first time," technology secretary Peter Kyle told Sky News, adding he had "very high expectations" for the changes. In an interview with parenting forum Mumsnet, he also said sorry to youngsters who had been exposed to harmful content. "I want to apologise to any kid who's over 13 who has not had any of these protections," Kyle said. Rani Govender, of the child protection charity NSPCC, said it was "a really important milestone that we're finally seeing tech companies having to take responsibility for making their services safe for children". Children are frequently "stumbling across this harmful and dangerous content," she told BBC News. "There will be loopholes," Govender noted, insisting it was still "right that we're introducing much stronger rules to make sure that that can't continue to happen". Prime Minister Keir Starmer's government is also considering introducing a daily two-hour limit for children on social media apps. Kyle said he would announce more plans for regulating the sector for under-16s "in the near future".
