Ofcom has published a new set of guidelines for tech companies to ensure that children are better protected online. The suggestions include more robust age checks for young users and changes to social media algorithms to stop the promotion of harmful material.
The online safety campaign group Internet Matters has revealed that one in seven teens under 16 has experienced image-based sexual abuse online. The new guidance from Ofcom has been written to help companies comply with their duties in the Online Safety Act, which makes platforms legally responsible for keeping people safe online.
Under the rules, online media companies will need to assess whether children are likely to access their service and then complete a risk assessment to identify the risks that their products pose to children.
Ofcom has also said that firms must prevent children from seeing the most harmful content relating to suicide, self-harm, eating disorders and pornography. They should also minimise a child’s exposure to serious harms such as violent, hateful or abusive material and bullying content.
This story is from the May 08, 2024 edition of The Independent.
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This story is from the May 08, 2024 edition of The Independent.
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