US and UK announce online child safety partnership

The US and UK have announced their first joint agreement aimed at increasing the safety of children online.

It will set up a joint online safety working group to share insights and expertise and examine the impact of social media on children.

British Technology Minister Peter Kyle said the agreement would transform the two countries’ “historic partnership” to “deliver a safer online world for our next generation.”

But campaign group Smartphone Free Childhood said it was inadequate and parents “do not have time to wait and see whether this UK-US deal makes a difference when it comes to their children’s future.”

However, others argue that more evidence needs to be collected regarding online harms to guide future policies.

“Policies and guidelines to help young people navigate their digital world need to be based on sound evidence, but to date we have not had much success in identifying cause and effect when it comes to the impact on wellbeing,” said Prof Pete Etchells from Bath Spa University

In announcing the agreement, the UK government acknowledged that there was “limited research and evidence on the causal effects of social media on children and young people”.

It committed to exploring ways to give researchers access to more data from big tech companies.

The agreement was announced a joint statement between the two countries.

The centerpiece is the joint working group, which will work, among other things, on “promoting better transparency of platforms” and “a better understanding of the impacts and risks of the digital world on young people, including new technologies such as generative AI”.

They also said they expected technology platforms to go “further and faster” to protect children.

“As more children in the United States and around the world have access to online learning and social media platforms, there is also an increased risk of this vulnerability,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo.

“That’s why in the United States and with our British partners, we are taking the necessary steps to protect children’s privacy, safety and mental health,” she added.

However, Smartphone Free Childhood said action was needed sooner and launched a campaign calling on the UK government to ensure children do not have access to their mobile phones at school.

The campaign group argues that “further delay” from the government would result in the UK falling “increasingly behind” other European countries that have tightened restrictions.

At the moment says the government’s guidelines that: “All schools should prohibit the use of cell phones throughout the school day – not just during class, but also during recess and lunch.”

However, the government so far says it has no plans to ban smartphone use for under-16s.

The UK Online Safety Act requires online platforms to protect the safety of children and take measures to reduce risks.

However, this is not yet fully in effect. Communications regulator Ofcom is still drawing up guidance for businesses on how to comply with the new legislation.