The Digital Child Newsletter - 18th July
Edited by Luke Taylor
A bumper crop of Big British News:
Prime Minister Starmer voices opposition to a Smartphone ban
The Children’s commissioner advocates for children’s voices
Labour pledges to enhance the Online Safety Act
The Prime Minister weighs in:
To ban or not to ban? Keir Starmer has expressed opposition to a proposed ban on smartphone usage for children under the age of 16. Speaking on the matter, Starmer emphasised the importance of finding balanced and practical solutions to concerns about children's screen time and online safety. Instead of an outright ban, he advocated for increasing digital literacy and responsible usage education to help young people navigate the digital world safely and effectively. We are also hoping he subscribes to this Substack soon…
“I do think we should look at what is available online to children, but in relation to simply banning phones for under 16s, I don’t think that’s a good idea. I don’t think that’s a practical way forward.”
Prime Minister Keir Starmer
The Children have spoken:
The commissioner: The UK's Children's Commissioner has expressed strong concerns about Ofcom’s draft of the Children's Code, arguing that it prioritises corporate interests over child safety. The Commissioner highlights that the current Code lacks ambition and accountability, failing to include children's perspectives despite being designed to protect them. The Commissioner urges that tech companies should be mandated to consult children before launching new features and to ensure these features are safe by design, rather than reacting to issues post facto. The Commissioner suggested that meaningful, practical action is needed, not just regulatory compliance.
"Children’s voices are entirely missing from this code, despite being intended to protect them... Tech companies continue to downplay children’s experiences on their sites."
Labour’s commitment:
Online Safety enhancements: The Labour Party has pledged to enhance the UK's child online safety regulations after criticism of Ofcom's current approach. The promise comes in response to many concerns that the existing Children's Code, part of the Online Safety Act, does not sufficiently address child protection or hold tech companies accountable. Labour's commitment includes stricter measures and better enforcement to ensure that tech platforms are more effectively regulated to safeguard children online.
"Labour has vowed to toughen the child online safety law after Ofcom was criticized for failing to adequately protect children from online harms."
Big Tech:
Found wanting? Elon Musk's social media platform, X, has, according to preliminary findings, been found in violation of the European Union's Digital Services Act (DSA). The European Commission's investigation concluded that X engaged in deceptive practices by failing to clearly inform users about its data handling and content moderation policies. This could lead to a fine of up to 6% of global annual turnover. It did lead to a bit of a spat on the platform itself (see below).
Around the world:
America:
SHIELD: Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and John Cornyn (R-TX) have successfully passed bipartisan legislation in the Senate aimed at bolstering laws that protect victims, particularly children, from online exploitation. Their legislation (dubbed SHIELD) aims to enhance current legal frameworks, increase penalties for offenders, and improve support mechanisms for victims. The bill addresses the growing concern of online child exploitation by tightening regulations and providing law enforcement with more tools to combat these crimes effectively.
"This bipartisan legislation is an important step in our ongoing efforts to protect children and other victims from the heinous crime of online exploitation"
Senator Amy Klobuchar
Ireland:
Incompati-Bill: Senator Rónán Mullen’s Protection of Children (Online Age Verification) Bill, aimed at restricting minors' access to online content, has been deemed incompatible with European Union law. Concerns have been raised about its alignment with the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Digital Services Act (DSA), which prioritise data privacy and free access to information. Critics argue that the bill may lead to increased data collection and potential privacy violations, conflicting with existing EU regulations.
“The Age Verification Bill's stringent measures could conflict with the EU's established legal frameworks, particularly concerning data protection and privacy,”
The Philippines:
Action - Reaction: The UAE's Ministry of Interior (MOI) is set to train 100 specialists from the Philippine National Police (PNP) in child protection measures. The training program will focus on best practices, advanced investigative techniques, and the use of technology in protecting children from online and offline threats. This collaborative effort aims to bolster the skills of the PNP, ensuring better protection and support for vulnerable children in the Philippines.
"The UAE's Ministry of Interior is dedicated to global cooperation in safeguarding children and addressing the challenges posed by child exploitation,"
UAE’s MOI
Top Tweets:
Charting the daily average time with friends at different ages.
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