A generation of children will no longer be “at the mercy of toxic algorithms,” said the British Minister of Technology, Peter Kyle, after the entry into force of the new strict online safety measures. The London government promises a firmer supervision of digital platforms, in the context of the online safety law, applied by the regulatory authority, reports The Independent.
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According to the new legislation, sites that host harmful content, from pornography to suicide, self-harm or diet disorders, must implement strict age checks, such as facial recognition or validation by bank card.
At the same time, digital platforms are obliged to control their algorithms, so that they no longer promote harmful content among minors. “This government has made one of the bravest actions worldwide to regain the digital space for young said Peter Kyle.
“We cannot and will not allow a generation of children to grow at the mercy of toxic algorithms, pushed to see a harmful content they would not be exposed to offline life. This is not the Internet we want for our children, nor the future we are willing to accept,” he added.
Huge fines and locks of sites
Companies that do not comply with the new rules risk severe sanctions: up to 18 million pounds or 10% of the eligible global income, any of the amounts is higher. In addition, British courts can decide to block access to these platforms in the United Kingdom.
“And to be clear: if I do not, they will be held accountable. I will not hesitate to go further and legislate to make sure that no child remains unprotected.” warned the British minister.
OFCOM: “Algorithms need to be tanned”
The Official Regulatory Authority has announced that several platforms, including X (former Twitter), Reddit, Grindr and Bluesky, have begun to implement age verification measures.
“Prioritizing clicks and involving users to the detriment of online children will no longer be tolerated in the United Kingdom”, said Dame Melanie Dawes, the executive director of the Offcom. “Our message for Tech companies is clear: respect the age checks and other protective measures provided in our codes, or you will bear the consequences of the application actions.”
Ofcom has already initiated a monitoring program for popular platforms among children, such as Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok, Roblox and YouTube. Until August 7, companies must send a risk assessment, and until September 30, a report on the measures applied to protect children.
Harsh critics from civil society
Children’s rights organizations believe that these measures are a necessary but insufficient step. The Molly Rose Foundation, founded by Ian Russell after his 14 -year -old daughter committed suicide after exposure to online harmful content, accuses authorities of lack of courage.
“This should have been a turning for young people, but instead we were disappointed by a regulatory authority that chose to put in the first place the interests of the big TECH companies to the detriment of the safety of children.” said Andy Burrows, the foundation’s CEO. “The lack of ambition and responsibility has been heard clearly and in Silicon Valley. (…) We now need a clear and leadership reset from the prime minister. This means nothing less than a new online safety law that will repair this defective regime and to firmly restore the balance in favor of children.”
“It’s time for Tech companies to get involved”
The NSPCC organization believes that parents should not support the responsibility of protecting children in the online environment.
“Children and their parents should not be responsible for staying alone online. It is time for technology companies to assume the role”, said Chris Sherwood, CEO of NSPCC, quoted by The Independent. “If Tech companies do not comply, offcom should show their corners and completely apply the new codes.”
Time limit on social networks?
The British government analyzes in parallel the possibility of imposing time limits for the use of social media applications by minors, including nocturnal prohibitions.
Minister Peter Kyle also announced that he is going to present a plan dedicated to children under 16 “in the near future”: “I want to fight the compulsive behavior”, He said, suggesting that limiting online time could help children “take control of their digital life.”
What Europe does
All this time, five countries in the European Union (France, Spain, Italy, Denmark and Greece) have recently announced that they will test a digital age verification system for access to social platforms. The measure is part of a broader initiative of the European Commission, meant to protect children from the harmful content of online, in accordance with the new requirements of the Digital Services Law (DSA).
According to Reuters, the application will use European Digital Identity Wallet, a technology that will allow authentication of certain personal data, such as age, without the platform receiving other sensitive information.
“Technically, the proposed system can validate the user’s age without revealing the complete identity. The solution uses the so-called European digital wallet, where personal data, such as the age or date of birth, are stored securely, and on verification the social platform receives only the confirmation that the user has the minimum legal age, not other sensitive details”, Recently, for “Adevărul”, Alexandru Dan, CEO TVL Tech and teacher at the Academy of Economic Studies (ASE) in Bucharest.
Thus, each country can adapt the system to local legislation, and European standards require the process to strictly comply with the GDPR: neither the platform nor third parties receive access to complete identity or other personal information.
“The Romanian mentality is quite creative when it comes to rows”
“Basically, the user remains anonymous beyond the proof of age, and the control over the data belongs to him. In Romania, it would be a large -scale implementation, both technically and legally. We have a diverse digital population, and access to technology is not uniform everywhere. In addition, the Romanian mentality is quite creative. digital, the risk of transforming verification into a simple formality or, worse, into an abusive barrier, it’s real“He says.
In his opinion, it is a necessary step to protect children from increasingly sophisticated dangers in the online environment, from exposure to inadequate content and cyberbullying, to handling or abusive data collection.
“I believe that Romania should take this direction seriously and develop its own age -verification mechanism, which respects the good European regulations, but adapted to the real needs of our society. In parallel, digital education and parents involve remain essential for efficient protection on the Internet.”reports Alexandru Dan.
Any measure that protects children from inadequate content is worth treating seriously, says the specialist. “However, let’s not forget: the technology does not solve everything, if it is not doubled by education, transparency and respect for personal data. In theory, the introduction of age verification could reduce the access of minors to dangerous content. Countries, to test the program, to consult specialists in AI, lawyers, parents and even more children.he adds.
“It is clear that we need such a measure”
Similarly, social media expert Cristian China Birta is of the opinion that Romania is not yet prepared for such a solution: “The five countries that want to introduce the age verification system are states where, as a whole, things really work. Look at France, it’s a spearhead in this area. There the bureaucracy goes: when a law appears. Romania ””he claims.
On the other hand, he says it remains to be seen what happens to the tests in the other countries. “It is important to say that we are talking about a test, they do not have certainties from the beginning. We will see how the implementation is, what reactions will appear from the great social platforms and what will be the legal counterattacks, because we enter a sensitive land: the right to free expression. It will be an interesting case study. No one knows exactly how to get it“Adds Cristian China Birta.
The European Commission asks for platforms to act
Also, writes Reuters, the European Commission has published guides for online platforms, which are urged to take measures to protect minors, as part of the obligations provided by the Digital Services Law (DSA). This reference legislation, which became applicable last year, forces companies such as Google (Alphabet), Meta (Facebook, Instagram), Tiktok (Bytedance) and other online platforms to do more to combat illegal and harmful content in the digital environment.
X (former Twitter, owned by Elon Musk), Tiktok, Facebook, Instagram and several adult sites are currently being investigated by European authorities to verify if they comply with the rules imposed by the DSA.
“The platforms have no excuse to continue the practices that endanger the children”, said Henna Virkkunen’s European Commissioner for Technology in a statement.
The impact of social networks on the mental health of children is a growing global concern: dozens of US states have taken trials against Meta, and Australia forbade children under 16 years to social networks last year.
