The Digital Child Newsletter - 11th April

Apr 15, 2024

COPPA 2.0 continues with support in the US
The UK is rumoured to be considering banning smartphones for under 16s
MAMA (Mothers Against Media Addiction) is the next parent campaign on the move in New York

American bans:

Unfortunately: A report by World Childhood Foundation USA and Economist Impact highlights significant shortcomings in U.S. states' efforts to address CSAM. Out of 28 states assessed, 25 received failing grades.

But fortunately: Senators Markey and Cassidy, alongside Representatives Castor and Walberg, have announced the introduction of the House companion to COPPA 2.0. The initiative has garnered bipartisan support. Key factors include:

Building on COPPA by prohibiting internet companies from collecting personal information from users who are 13 to 16 years old without their consent;
Banning targeted advertising to children and teens;
Revising COPPA’s “actual knowledge” standard to close the loophole that allows covered platforms to ignore kids and teens on their site;
An “Eraser Button” requiring companies to permit users to eliminate personal information from a child or teen when technologically feasible;
New data minimization rules to prohibit the excessive collection of children and teens’ data.

"This bipartisan, bicameral bill has been intensely vetted and commands broad ideological support. This is the time to pass online privacy legislation for kids and teens and stand up to the Big Tech oligarchs who continue to track and target young people online."
Senator Edward J. Markey

UK smartphone discussion:

The prospective ban looms: Following the momentum for a smartphone free childhood and this poll, Guido Fawkes announced that the Government is considering a ban on mobile phone sales to Under 16s. They’ve come out in strong opposition saying that they “wouldn’t be surprised if alcohol is next”. We would like to remind them that the sale of alcohol is already banned for U16s.

MAMA:

Mothers know best: There was a MAMA rally outside Meta headquarters in Manhattan at the end of March which brought together advocate groups, lawmakers, and concerned individuals to advocate for children's privacy and safety online. This sounds wonderfully familiar to the grassroots UK-based Smartphone Free Childhood. You can find more about the mom led campaign here.

Here’s a brief snippet from the website:

Big Tech:

The best ways around: This helpful article indicates some of the best parental control apps out there. It includes extensive research into budgets, social media and online filters.

Around the World:

UK:

Ofcom & Direct messaging: Dame Melanie Dawes, head of Ofcom, has advocated for sanctions against social media companies that fail to prevent adults from directly messaging children in efforts to prevent grooming online. Major platforms such as Instagram, Google, and TikTok have currently implemented measures such as age verification and messaging limitations in response to these concerns. As always, there’s more to go.

"If you’re going to meaningfully protect children, you have to be disrupting child abuse at the earliest point you can, and that is direct messaging."
Andy Burrows, NSPCC

Higher levels of sexism in schools: The National Education Union (NEU) attributes this increase to the exposure of children to harmful content on their phones, including aggressive pornography and influencer content distorting views of women. The piece is filled with plenty of hard to read anecdotes.

Sri Lanka:

A reporting scheme: A new online platform launched by the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) and the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), aims to quickly remove instances of CSA from the internet. The initiative enables individuals to report incidents of media involving children, facilitating prompt removal and legal action against perpetrators.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe emphasized the importance of addressing CSA comprehensively, advocating the establishment of a Children's Council and the devolution of child care services to provincial levels.

Arizona:

Veto power plays: Governor Katie Hobbs of Arizona vetoed House Bill 2586, that aimed to mandate ID verification for platforms with harmful content. In her veto letter, Hobbs cited concerns about the bill's compliance with First Amendment rights and settled case law. Hobbs now holds the record for the most vetoes in the state’s history, having vetoed more than three times as many bills as the runner-up.

Ohio

Oh hi there, Bill 295: Ohio House Bill 295, introduced by Republican Rep. Steve Demetriou, seeks to require websites sharing content deemed "obscene or harmful to juveniles" to verify that their viewers are legal adults. The bill would penalise websites failing to implement age verification measures and minors providing false identification to access such content. It also targets creators of "deepfakes" depicting real people in sexual acts without consent.

"We’re not here to talk about adults. We’re here to talk about protecting kids. We don’t want to prevent adults from making adult decisions."
Rep. Steve Demetriou, Ohio

Australia:

The First Artificial Intelligence CSA conviction: A man from Tasmania has been sentenced to two years in prison for possessing and accessing CSAM, some of which was generated by AI. The Australian Federal Police (AFP) rightly highlighted that AI-generated content depicting CSA is considered child abuse material under Commonwealth legislation.

"Child abuse material, is still child abuse material, no matter what form it takes... Whether the image is AI-generated or depicts a real child victim, the material is repulsive and the Tasmania JACET Team, along with the AFP and its law enforcement partners, will continue to identify and locate those sharing this abhorrent content and put them before the courts."
AFP Detective Sergeant Aaron Hardcastle

Singapore:

Keep kids data safe: The Personal Data Protection Commission released guidelines clarifying the application of the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) for kids data. The guidelines address organisations offering online products or services accessed by children, emphasizing data protection by design. Key points include age-appropriate notices and consent mechanisms, encouragement for age assurance methods and breach notifications.

Malaysia:

Less gambling, scams and fake news: Meta and TikTok have pledged to improve online safety measures for children under 13 in Malaysia. The agreement, reached during discussions with Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil, focused on monitoring content related to crime and enhancing frameworks for online safety laws.