Tag: online safety

Stronger guidance and controls needed to protect children from screen time, says Westminster report

For young children, the benefits of screen time are significantly outweighed by the risks, a report by Westminster’s Education Committee has found.

The committee has published its report “Screen time: impacts on education and wellbeing”. 

There has been a 52% increase in children’s screen time between 2020 and 2022; nearly 25% of children and young people use their smartphones in a way that is consistent with a behavioural addiction.  

Screen use has been found to start as early as six months of age. One in five children aged between three and four years old have their own mobile phone, increasing to one in four children by age eight and to almost all children by age 12. The amount of time those aged 5–15 years old spent online rose from an average of nine hours per week in 2009, to 15 hours per week in 2018.  

As well as harms to mental and physical health, screen time can disrupt pupils’ learning both at home and in the classroom, as it can take up to 20 minutes for pupils to refocus on what they were learning after engaging in a non-academic activity such as browsing the internet or noticing a notification on their phone.             

 The report strongly supports the tougher guidance on keeping phones out of the classroom and breaktimes that the Department recently issued. However, the Committee heard mixed evidence on how well taken up this will be, we therefore recommend formal monitoring and evaluation of this approach by the next Government with the possibility of a statutory ban if needed.  

The Committee also concludes that screen time should be minimal for younger children and better balanced with face-to-face socialisation and physical activity for older ones.  

Parents need clear guidance from Government on managing children’s screen time, and in particular advice to parents of babies and young children should be revised to ensure it gives sufficient attention to face-to-face interaction and warns of the risks of screen time in reducing opportunities for this. 

While the Online Safety Act 2023 will undoubtably play a role in keeping children safe from online harms, the Committee is concerned that children will not feel the full protections of the Act until implementation is completed in 2026.   

79% of children have encountered violent pornography before the age of 18, with the average age that children first see pornography being 13 years old. Some 81% of girls aged 7-21 have experienced some form of threatening or upsetting behaviour, and online sexual crimes committed against children online has risen by 400% since 2013. 

One in five children (19%) aged 10-15 experienced at least one type of bullying behaviour online, and out of them, around three-quarters (72%) said they experienced at least some of it at school or during school time. 

It is clear that the entire system surrounding the digital age of consent and how it is verified is not fit for purpose. The Committee heard no evidence to suggest that 13 is an appropriate age for children to understand the implications of allowing platforms access to their personal data online.

Yet even with the digital age of consent currently formally set at the lowest possible level, it is widely ignored and not effectively enforced. This must change urgently. The next Government should consult on raising the age of digital consent and should recommend 16 as a more appropriate age.  

The report also calls for the level of digital age of consent to be effectively enforced. The Online Safety Act 2023 allows for substantial fines or even imprisonment for executives of companies who breach its rules, and the Government should consider how this approach can be applied to social media companies who knowingly breach age verification requirements and expose children to addictive content which is not appropriate for them. 

Within the first year of the new Parliament, the next Government should work alongside Ofcom to consult on additional measures regarding smartphones for children under 16 years old, including the possibility of a total ban of smartphones (internet-enabled phones) for children under 16 or parental controls installed as default on phones for under 16s.  

The next Government should work with mobile phone companies and network operators to promote children’s phones, a class of phone which can be used for contact and GPS location but not access to the internet or downloading apps.

Chair of the Education Committee, Robin Walker MP, said: “Excessive screen and smartphone use has a clear negative impact on the mental and physical wellbeing of children and young people. Our inquiry heard shocking statistics on the extent of the damage being done to under-18s, particularly those who are already extremely vulnerable, such as those in care.  

“Without urgent action, more children will be put in harm’s way. From exposure to pornography, to criminal gangs using online platforms to recruit children, the online world poses serious dangers.

“Parents and schools face an uphill struggle and Government must do more to help them meet this challenge. This might require radical steps, such as potentially a ban on smartphones for under-16s.  

“Our report found that digital age of consent checks are not fit for purpose. We heard no evidence demonstrating that thirteen-year-olds understood the ramifications of sharing personal information online and today’s report urges the Government to increase this age to sixteen.  

“It’s also clear that children require face-to-face and in-person social contact in order to thrive. Our report found that screen time is inversely associated with working memory, processing, attention levels, language skills and executive function.  

“Whilst there can be some benefits from the online world and sharing information or interests with their peers, ready, unsupervised and unrestricted access to the internet leaves children vulnerable, exposing them to a world they are not equipped for. Their safeguarding and protection must be our priority.”

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Ofcom: Proposed measures to improve children’s online safety

As the UK’s online safety regulator, we have published a package of proposed measures that social media and other online services must take to improve children’s safety when they’re online:

In this article, Ofcom explain some of the main measures and the difference we expect them to make. Whether you are a parent, carer or someone working with children, this can help you understand what is happening to help children in the UK live safer lives online.

Protecting children is a priority

Protecting children so they can enjoy the benefits of being online, without experiencing the potentially serious harms that exist in the online world, is a priority for Ofcom.

We’re taking action – setting out proposed steps online services would need to take to keep kids safer online, as part of their duties under the Online Safety Act.

Under the Act social media apps, search and other online services must prevent children from encountering the most harmful content relating to suicide, self-harm, eating disorders, and pornography. They must also minimise children’s exposure to other serious harms, including violent, hateful or abusive material, bullying content, and content promoting dangerous challenges.

What will companies have to do to protect children online?

Firstly, online services must establish whether children are likely to access their site – or part of it. And secondly, if children are likely to access it, the company must carry out a further assessment to identify the risks their service poses to children, including the risk that come from the design of their services, their functionalities and algorithms. They then need to introduce various safety measures to mitigate these risks.



Our consultation proposes more than 40 safety measures that services would need to take – all aimed at making sure children enjoy safer screen time when they are online. These include:

  • Robust age checks – our draft Codes expect services to know which of their users are children in order to keep protect them from harmful content. In practice, this means that all services which don’t ban harmful content should introduce highly effective age-checks to prevent children from accessing the entire site or app, or age-restricting parts of it for adults-only access.
  • Safer algorithms – under our proposals, any service that has systems that recommend personalised content to users and is at a high risk of harmful content must design their algorithms to filter out the most harmful content from children’s feeds, and downrank other harmful content. Children must also be able to provide negative feedback so the algorithm can learn what content they don’t want to see.
  • Effective moderation – all services, like social media apps and search services, must have content moderation systems and processes to take quick action on harmful content and large search services should use a ‘safe search’ setting for children, which can’t be turned off and must filter out the most harmful content. Other broader measures require clear policies from services on what kind of content is allowed, how content is prioritised for review, and for content moderation teams to be well-resourced and trained.

What difference will these measures make?

We believe these measures will improve children’s online experiences in a number of ways. For example:

  • Children will not normally be able to access pornography.
  • Children will be protected from seeing, and being recommended, potentially harmful content.
  • Children will not be added to group chats without their consent.
  • It will be easier for children to complain when they see harmful content, and they can be more confident that their complaints will be acted on.

Our consultation follows proposals we’ve already published for how children should be protected from illegal content and activity such as grooming, child sexual exploitation and abuse, as well as how children should be prevented from accessing pornographic content.

Next steps

Our consultation is open until 17 July and we welcome any feedback on the proposals. We expect to finalise our proposals and publish our final statement and documents in spring next year.

Please submit responses using the consultation response form (ODT, 108.1 KB).

New laws to protect consumers from cyber criminals come into force

From today, regulations enforcing consumer protections against hacking and cyber-attacks will take effect, mandating that internet-connected smart devices meet minimum-security standards by law.

  • World-first laws protecting UK consumers and businesses from hacking and cyber-attacks take effect today   
  • manufacturers of products such as phones, TVs and smart doorbells are now required to implement minimum security standards against cyber threats   
  • consumers will benefit from banning of easily guessable default passwords, marking a significant leap in protecting individuals, society and the economy from cyber criminals 

Consumer protections against hacking and cyber-attacks will come into force today, as all internet connected smart devices will be required by law to meet minimum-security standards. 

Manufacturers will be legally required to protect consumers from hackers and cyber criminals from accessing devices with internet or network connectivity – from smartphones to games consoles and connected fridges – as the UK becomes the first country in the world to introduce these laws.  

Under the new regime, manufacturers will be banned from having weak, easily guessable default passwords like ‘admin’ or ‘12345’ and if there is a common password the user will be promoted to change it on start-up.

This will help prevent threats like the damaging Mirai attack in 2016 which saw 300,000 smart products compromised due to weak security features and used to attack major internet platforms and services, leaving much of the US East Coast without internet. Since then, similar attacks have occurred on UK banks including Lloyds and RBS leading to disruption to customers. 

The move marks a significant step towards boosting the UK’s resilience towards cyber-crime, as recent figures show 99% of UK adults own at least one smart device and UK households own an average of nine connected devices. The new regime will also help give customers confidence in buying and using products, which will in turn help grow businesses and the economy.  

An investigation conducted by Which? showed that a home filled with smart devices could be exposed to more than 12,000 hacking attacks from across the world in a single week, with a total of 2,684 attempts to guess weak default passwords on just five devices.   

 Minister for Cyber, Viscount Camrose said:   “As every-day life becomes increasingly dependent on connected devices, the threats generated by the internet multiply and become even greater. 

“From today, consumers will have greater peace of mind that their smart devices are protected from cyber criminals, as we introduce world first laws that will make sure their personal privacy, data and finances are safe.   

“We are committed to making the UK the safest place in the world to be online and these new regulations mark a significant leap towards a more secure digital world.”

Data and Digital Infrastructure Minister, Julia Lopez, said: “Today marks a new era where consumers can have greater confidence that their smart devices, such as phones and broadband routers, are shielded from cyber threats, and the integrity of personal privacy, data and finances better protected.

“Our pledge to establish the UK as the global standard for online safety takes a big step forward with these regulations, moving us closer to our goal of a digitally secure future.”

OPSS Chief Executive, Graham Russell said: “The use and ownership of consumer products that can connect to the internet or a network is growing rapidly. UK consumers should be able to trust that these products are designed and built with security in mind, protecting them from the increasing cyber threats to connectable devices.    

“As the UK’s product regulator, OPSS will be ensuring consumers can have that confidence by working with the industry to encourage innovation and compliance with these new laws.”

NCSC Deputy Director for Economy and Society, Sarah Lyons said:  “Smart devices have become an important part of our daily lives, improving our connectivity at home and at work; however, we know this dependency also presents an opportunity for cyber criminals.  

“Businesses have a major role to play in protecting the public by ensuring the smart products they manufacture, import or distribute provide ongoing protection against cyber-attacks and this landmark Act will help consumers to make informed decisions about the security of products they buy. 

“I encourage all businesses and consumers to read the NCSC’s point of sale leaflet, which explains how the new Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure (PSTI) regulation affects them and how smart devices can be used securely.”

With 57% of households owning a smart TV, 53% owning a voice assistant and 49% owning a smart watch or fitness wristband, this new regime reinforces the government’s commitments to addressing these threats to society and the economy head on.  

The laws are coming into force as part of the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure (PSTI) regime, which has been designed to improve the UK’s resilience from cyber-attacks and ensure malign interference does not impact the wider UK and global economy.    

The new measures will also introduce a series of improved security protections to tackle the threat of cyber-crime:  

  • Common or easily guessable passwords like ‘admin’ or ‘12345’ will be banned to prevent vulnerabilities and hacking  
  • Manufacturers will have to publish contact details so bugs and issues can be reported and dealt with  
  • Manufacturers and retailers will have to be open with consumers on the minimum time they can expect to receive important security updates  

Rocio Concha, Which? Director of Policy and Advocacy, said: “Which? has been instrumental in pushing for these new laws which will give consumers using smart products vital protections against cyber criminals looking to launch hacking attacks and steal their personal information. 

“The OPSS must provide industry with clear guidance and be prepared to take strong enforcement action against manufacturers if they flout the law, but we also expect smart device brands to do right by their customers from day one and ensure shoppers can easily find information on how long their devices will be supported and make informed purchases.

David Rogers, CEO of Copper Horse, said: “We started this work many years ago so that people would not have to understand lots about the security of connected product in order to be secure. Getting rid of things like default passwords that are set to ‘admin’ or ‘12345’ are fundamental basics.

“Manufacturers should not be providing anyone with products like webcams that are so weak and insecure that they are trivial to hack into and takeover. This stops now and people can have greater confidence that the internet connected products that they buy have better security measures built-in to protect them.”

The UK government has collaborated with industry leaders to introduce this raft of transformative protections, which also include manufacturers having to publish information on how to report security issues to increase the speed at which they can address these problems.

In addition, consumers and cyber security experts can play an active role in protecting themselves and society from cyber criminals by reporting any products which don’t comply to the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS).   

The government is beginning the legislative process for certain automotive vehicles to be exempt from the product security regulatory regime, as they will be covered by alternative legislation.   

This new regime intends to increase consumer confidence in the security of the products they buy and use, delivering on one of the government’s five priorities to grow the economy.

The new laws are part of the government’s £2.6 billion National Cyber Strategy to protect and promote the UK online.

Cyber Safety Information Session

THURSDAY 22 FEBRUARY from 2 – 4pm

at WEST PILTON NEIGHBOURHOOD CENTRE

🔒💻 Join us for a Cyber Safety Information Session!

📍 Where: West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre (19 West Pilton Grove, Edinburgh EH4 4BY)

🗓️ When: Thursday, 22 February, 2pm – 4pm

🆓 Free event! Sign up in advance to secure your place at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/…/make-it-happen-cyber…

ℹ️About the session:

Learn how to stay safe online, protect your personal information, and recognise risks of fraud, scams, and identity theft at this free information session!

Presented by North Edinburgh Arts’ Make it Happen project in partnership with People Know How.

For more information or questions, please email Asia at asia@northedinburgharts.co.uk.

🌟 Proudly supported by the Scottish Ecosystem Fund 2023-24.

Expert reveals 7 tips to avoid online dating scams

Navigating the world of online dating can be tricky and it’s important not to lose sight of the potential dangers and scams that you may encounter whilst engaging with other potential matches.

That’s why security expert Nathan Daniels from VPNOverview.com has outlined 7 steps you can take to protect yourself when dating online to ensure you don’t have a negative experience.

Turn off location tracking

Many dating apps require that you turn on location tracking. This means you have to allow these apps to view your location. Dating apps use this information to get you into contact with people who are close to you geographically.

Of course, this is a very useful feature. Nevertheless, it’s understandable you might not want to share your exact location with a dating app, or with any service for that matter.

It is strongly recommended to turn off geo-tracking once you’re no longer actively using your dating app. That way, at the very least, you prevent the app from tracking you constantly.

Request a video chat (before your first date)

Another great safe online dating tip is to filter out fake dating profiles by requesting a video call. In fact, it can be a regular call as well, although video chatting is definitely better. Most people with fake profiles will be very reluctant to have a call, especially if a video is involved.

Obviously, it’s much easier for scammers to deceive their victims through text messages and sending someone else’s pictures. If they were to agree to a call, they would most likely just be discovered as fraudsters. As such, if someone refuses to have a (video) call, you might just be dealing with a fake profile.

Of course, you might be dealing with someone who is serious about meeting up at some point. In that case, a video call or a regular call is very useful as well. It will help you to gauge the other user’s intentions and character a little bit. This could help you avoid some dangerous scenarios.

Don’t connect your dating profiles to other social media or platforms

It might be tempting, for convenience reasons, to just log in on a dating app with your Facebook account or your main Google account. However, it is strongly recommend to not do this, as it’s a potential privacy hazard. Just think about it – you’re connecting a profile that’s intended for friends and family to a platform where you’ll be contacting tons of people you don’t know. Instead try using another way to log in, that can’t be traced back to you. One method, for instance, would be to create a Google account with random information that doesn’t contain any of your personal data.

Choose pictures you don’t use elsewhere

By using a reverse image search, someone can easily use your dating profile pictures against you. They can simply use this Google tool to find other pages where the images appear. This way, they’ll easily find out your personal information, even if you didn’t include it on your dating profile.

As such, it is recommended to only use pictures on your dating profile that you’re not using anywhere else. This also means it’s a bad idea to allow Tinder or other dating apps to simply pull pictures from Facebook or other social media accounts.

Report suspicious activity and inappropriate behaviour

Many dating apps have ways to report profiles and/or inappropriate behaviour. This comes in handy when you come across a (potentially) fake profile or behaviour that makes you uncomfortable. By reporting the profile involved, you will make your own and others’ dating experiences safer.

After you report an account, the respective dating app will generally launch an investigation. If someone’s profile is found to be fake or they are found guilty of inappropriate behaviour, their account will be deleted.

Types of suspicious or inappropriate activity you might encounter on dating apps include the following:

  • Fake profiles. Always be wary if you see a profile that’s unverified, offers little information, or seems too good to be true.
  • Money demands. If someone asks you for money, there’s a good chance they’re a catfish.
  • Requests for explicit pictures. The person requesting these pictures might plan on sextorting you.
  • Inappropriate messages, such as messages containing threats or sexual intimidation.
  • Unacceptable behaviour during a physical meeting exhibited by the people you meet.
  • Messages where people try to sell you something or get you to do something unrelated to dating (spam).
  • Rejection of video calls, even after chatting with someone for a long time. This might indicate you’re dealing with a fake account.

Many dating platforms also offer the possibility of blocking a specific user. This is a great option if someone is bothering you and you don’t want to have them contact you while you’re awaiting the results of the dating app’s investigation after reporting them.

Be wary of malicious files and pages

Some catfish operate by infecting their victims’ devices with malware. Rather than asking you for money, they might attempt to infect your system with a keylogger, in the hope. of getting their hands on your financial data.

That’s why it’s recommended to not download or click on any files that a new chat partner might send you. It’s best to wait until you know them a bit better and trust the,. The same goes for visiting links they send you – both can contain dangerous malware.

Apart from always being vigilant, we recommend getting a solid antivirus solution to protect yourself from malware.

Delete your account when you’re done dating

Have you finally met your soul mater? Or have you had your fill of casual dating fun? Either way, consider another valuable safe online dating tip, and make sure to delete your online dating account once you’re done dating.

Deleting your dating profile will erase (most of) your personal information on the dating platform in question. As a result, it will be much more difficult for others to abuse your personal information.

Black Friday: Cyber security expert warns shoppers to be vigilant

CYBER criminals will be looking to exploit shoppers during the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales – an expert from cyber security firm CSS Assure has warned.

With UK consumers planning to spend an estimated £5.6bn on Black Friday (24 November) and Cyber Monday (27 November) purchases this year, Charlotte Riley, director of information security at technology at CSS Assure, said bargain hunters lowering their guards during the rush to bag the best deals are at greater risk of malicious threats.

Charlotte said: “In the run-up to and during Black Friday and Cyber Monday, many outlets will run promotional offers to encourage spending. This is a potentially lucrative time of year for cyber criminals as they know shoppers are less vigilant as they rush to snap up the best deals.

“Cyber criminals will no doubt be looking to take advantage of the vast amount of transactions taking place and the financial information being shared as a result. There is also an increase in promotional email traffic, which makes it hard to differentiate the real bargains from scams – presenting a heightened risk of phishing attacks.

“With this in mind, it is important consumers take steps to protect themselves and their families during two of the biggest shopping days of the year.”

Password management

“Firstly, shoppers should think about the last time they changed their passwords, especially on important accounts. If their passwords are dated then strongly consider changing them, and, if possible, use a password management solution to ensure they are unique and appropriately complex.

“While this is a faff, it is the single greatest defence you can make to protect yourself against a cyber attack and will instantly make you much safer online. Adding an extra layer of security like two-factor authentication can prevent unauthorised access even if someone gets hold of your password.

“Currently, there are millions of emails and passwords for sale on the dark web, which have been breached by companies that have not protected people’s personal data sufficiently. Cyber criminals can buy this data for minimal amounts of money and gain access to your emails.

“They will look for social media accounts and online high street accounts and test your combination to gain access. From this, they can gather more personal data until they have enough to conduct identity theft, which could result in credit being taken out in your name or using your saved payment cards to make online purchases, for example.”

Personal data breach identification

“It is a good idea to understand whether your data has been breached so you can put in place other necessary measures to protect yourself. To do this you can use a free service provided by Have I Been Pwned. All you need to do is enter your email address and the site will tell you whether it is associated with a breach and if so, what other data has been stolen.

“If you have been breached, it is even more important that you change your password to break the chain. Next, you need to understand whether you have been entered into any spambots – as the name suggests, these are bots that send spam to you.

“While some spam is laughable, others are highly credible. If you’re rushing, there’s a higher change you will click a link in a spam email, which could execute malware or ransomware on your device.

“A blended strategy is best for rectifying and avoiding your exposure to spam – and, in turn, the chances of clicking on a malicious link.

“Start by enabling and customising your email provider’s spam filters to automatically detect and redirect suspicious emails to the spam folder. These settings – as well as your security and privacy options – should also be regularly reviewed or adjusted. Unsubscribe from unwanted newsletters or promotional emails, and make spam emails as junk within your email platform.

“Some email services offer the option to create disposable or temporary email addresses for specific purposes. This way if the address gets compromised or spammed, you can easily discard it without affecting your primary email. You should also be cautious about sharing your email address on public forums, social media, or unfamiliar websites to minimise exposure to potential spammers.

“While these may seem to be arduous tasks, they are effective and vital ways to protect yourself.”

Check your anti-virus protection

“Finally, make sure your anti-virus protection is installed, activated with a valid licence and updated. While free anti-virus software is available, in life you get what you pay for and it may not protect you sufficiently. Competition to provide the best anti-virus changes year on year between the main vendors as they achieve technology breakthroughs in response to the evolution in cyber threats.

“The best thing to do is check reputable tech websites for reviews of the best current anti-virus software. We recommend buying a one-year licence, and then when it comes to renew, assess which company has moved to the forefront of anti-malware protection. There will always be new customer deals to be had.”

NSPCC staff join vital discussion at Scottish Games Week on how to keep children safe in gaming

NSPCC staff will join a panel of experts for a crucial conversation today in a Roundtable discussion at the start of Scottish Games Week.

Patrick Weaver, NSPCC Assistant Director of Fundraising and Engagement (Communities), and NSPCC Scotland Local Campaigns Officer Euan Graham will join Simon Monkman, the Lead for Gaming and Extremism at Ofcom, and lawyer Kirk Dailly to talk about child protection in the gaming industry.

The discussion will cover the legal frameworks now in place following the Online Safety Act receiving Royal Assent last week and ethical considerations for ensuring the safety and wellbeing of young players.

They will also discuss potential opportunities to collaborate with some of the key players within the gaming industry to fundraise for the charity.

Patrick Weaver, Assistant Director of Fundraising and Engagement (Communities) at NSPCC, said: “We’re delighted to be joining this very important discussion about how we can help to keep young players safe in the gaming industry.

“We are also very excited about potential collaboration with some of the key players in the industry to help raise funds for the charity in the future.

“The NSPCC has a wealth of insight, knowledge and expertise on safeguarding children and suggestions for ways to keep young people safe online, and we are excited to get the opportunity to share this with the gaming world.

“In the long run we’d love to support companies to incorporate safeguarding when they design games and help to build a safer industry for children and young people.”

Using voluntary donations, which make up around 90 per cent of its funding, the NSPCC works tirelessly to protect children and prevent abuse from happening and to help children who have been abused, including online, to rebuild their lives.

The NSPCC’s free Childline counselling service provides a safe, confidential place for children when they have nowhere else to turn, whatever their worry, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

The charity also has a helpline open every day of the year for any adult who is worried about a child. The helpline has trained practitioners who provide advice and support, listen to concerns about a child, and offer general information about child protection.

Our Helpline responded to over 59,000 contacts last year from adults who were concerned about a child, with the most common reasons concerns about neglect, physical, emotional and/or sexual abuse and/or exploitation. *

Since 2018 the NSPCC has also campaigned for a robust Online Safety Bill to be introduced, working closely with four different prime ministers, ministers, MPs and members of the House of Lords to make the Bill stronger for children. The charity also continues to call on tech companies to take the necessary action to ensure children are safe on their platforms.

NSPCC Scotland Local Campaigns Officer Euan Graham, who leads a campaign called ‘Let’s Chat Online Safety’ in Moray, said: “Childline hears from many young people who have been bullied or experienced abuse online. For example, more than 3,500 online grooming crimes have been reported in Scotland since 2017, with under-13s representing over half of those affected.*.

“Our ‘Let’s Chat Online Safety’ campaign helps keep children safe by providing useful tips and resources to parents, carers and teachers to make it easier for them to talk about this topic with young people.

“Many parents and carers worry about their child’s safety online, whether they are playing games, browsing the internet or on social media. And it can be quite daunting for those who aren’t particularly tech savvy, because they may not know how to put parental controls in place or how to talk about it without causing hostility, especially with teenagers who don’t want their privacy to be invaded.

“We encourage families to have regular, positive conversations about their children’s experience being online and make sure children know they can talk to them, another trusted adult or Childline if anything is worrying them.”

Patrick Weaver and Euan Graham will join the Roundtable discussion on Monday, October 30 at 2.30pm in the Salisbury Suite at Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh.

Scottish Games Week, which runs from Monday, October 30, to Friday, November 3, is a Scotland-wide series of events creating a global platform for Scotland’s rapidly evolving games ecosystem.

Trolls who encourage serious self-harm to face jail

New offence for encouraging serious self-harm with perpetrators facing 5 years behind bars

  • offence to apply regardless of whether target goes on to cause serious self-harm
  • move will protect vulnerable while not criminalising those who share their recovery journey

Vile trolls who hide behind the anonymity of the internet to encourage others to cause themselves serious harm will face prosecution as part of an overhaul of online safety laws announced today (18 May 2023).

Additions to the Online Safety Bill will make it a crime to encourage someone to cause serious self-harm, regardless of whether or not victims go on to injure themselves and those convicted face up to 5 years in prison.  The new offence will add to existing laws which make it illegal to encourage or assist someone to take their own life.

Police or prosecutors will only have to prove communication was intended to encourage or assist serious self-harm amounting to grievous bodily harm (GBH) – this could include serious injuries such as broken bones or permanent physical scarring.

The offence will apply even where the perpetrator does not know the person they are targeting – putting an end to abhorrent trolling that risks serious self-harm or life-changing injuries.

Encouraging someone to starve themselves or not take prescribed medication will also be covered.

Research from the Mental Health Foundation shows that more than a quarter of women between 16-24 have reported self-harm at some point in their life and since 1993 the levels of self-harm among women have tripled.  Today’s announcement is the latest step in our work to provide greater protections for women and girls who are more likely to self-harm.

Research also shows more than two-thirds of UK adults are concerned about seeing content that promotes or advocates self-harm while online.

Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary, Alex Chalk KC, said: “There is no place in our society for those who set out to deliberately encourage the serious self-harm of others. Our new law will send a clear message to these cowardly trolls that their behaviour is not acceptable.

“Building on the existing measures in the Online Safety Bill our changes will make it easier to convict these vile individuals and make the internet a better and safer place for everyone.”

The new offence will be created following a recommendation from the Law Commission in 2021 and balances the need to protect vulnerable people while not criminalising those who document their own self-harm as part of their recovery journey.

Justice Minister, Edward Argar MP, said: “No parent should ever worry about their children seeing content online or elsewhere encouraging them to hurt themselves. Our reforms will punish those who use encourage vulnerable people to inflict serious injuries on themselves and make sure they face the prospect of time behind bars.“

This new offence builds on measures already in the Online Safety Bill, which will better regulate social media and ensure that social media companies like Tiktok, Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram and others are held legally responsible for the content on their sites.

Expert reveals how you can protect your mobile device from malware 

During the first few months of 2022, mobile malware attacks increased by 500%, with one of the main reasons being because many people aren’t protecting their smartphones. 

Experts at IT support specialists CloudTech24 have revealed the best ways you can go about protecting your mobile device from malware effectively. 

  1. Use mobile anti-malware 

Your mobile phone needs anti-virus and anti-malware software too! Malware can infect smartphones and tablets easily so it’s important to have a reliable anti-malware app installed to your device. 

  1. Don’t download apps from unknown sources 

Only download mobile apps from trusted sources. Do not download outside a main app store. Trusted app stores include places like: 

  • Apple App Store 
  • Google Play 
  • The Microsoft Store 
  • Amazon Appstore 

You also should research the app developer online. Make sure they have a good reputation. Once you download a dangerous app to your phone, it can infect it with malware. That malware can remain behind even if you delete the app later. 

  1. Be wary of SMS phishing, AKA “smishing” 

Spam texts are extremely common nowadays, with the text equivalent of phishing being known as “smishing”. 

Through malicious links in text messages, hackers may ask you to message back to capture personal information, and/or try to gain access to your device. 

Beware of text messages from unknown sources and be on the lookout for texts that don’t make sense. A common text spam is getting a shipping notification when you haven’t ordered anything. 

  1. Remove old apps you don’t use 

Apps these days are often abandoned by the developer, and there are around 2.6 million apps that haven’t received an update in a year or more. Having these old apps on your phone can leave security vulnerabilities which can be exploited by hackers, so it’s important to address them. 

Look through your device for any older apps you aren’t using, and if there’s no reason to keep them around, they can leave your device at risk.  

Also, look at the time of the last update, and if it’s over a year, consider replacing it with an app that’s more current and updated more frequently.

  1. Keep your device updated 

In addition to keeping your apps updated, it’s important to keep your device updated too. Not updating to the latest version of your device’s operating system can also leave your phone with security vulnerabilities, allowing hackers to breach your data. Turn on automatic updates if possible!

Keeping all devices in one room can protect your child online

Children have more access to screen time than ever before, in particular, access to the internet.

Internet safety has become an increasingly worrying problem amongst parents, however internet expert Allison Troutner from VPNOverview.com has listed the best ways to keep your child safe online.

1. Consider a family ‘tech agreement’

One way to set ground rules with your child is to create a Family Tech Agreement. A family tech agreement answers as many questions as possible about internet and device use so boundaries are clear to all family members. It’s a good way for the whole family to talk about safe and responsible online behaviours.

To create a family agreement, discuss topics like:

  • What apps, games, or sites does the family use most?
  • What rules do we want to include in our agreement?
  • How long should we spend on our devices?
  • What information is safe to share (or not)?
  • What do we do if we see something inappropriate?
  • What email address do we use to sign up for accounts?
  • Do we know how to use in-app safety features like blocking and reporting?
  • Who can we talk to if we feel uncomfortable with something online?
  • Who is safe to talk to?
  • What happens when someone breaks the agreement?
  • When might parents be forced to break the agreement for safety?

This is a starting point: your family may discuss more topics on internet safety for kids depending on the ages of your child or teens and what devices you use.

2. Report any harmful content that you see

Flag or report all harmful content or contact you or your child experiences using social media apps using in-app reporting features. For cybercrimes, cyberbullying, or harmful content, use in-app features like Twitter’s safe mode to report it. Most social media companies have their own safety and privacy policies and will investigate and block content or users. Apps geared towards kids, like Facebook Messenger Kids, have clear guidelines and safety features so that users can block content or contacts and have a safer experience in the app.

3. Balance safety with independence

Technical controls can be a useful way to protect your children online but they can’t solve all your problems. Children need a certain amount of freedom and privacy to develop healthily. They need their own free space to learn by trial and error what works and what doesn’t. So keep balancing, it’s part of it. Having open and honest conversations with your children can be the best way to balance this safety.

4. Keep the computer in a common space

If possible, keep computers and devices in a common space so you can keep an eye on activity. It prevents children from doing things that might be risky. Also, if harmful or inappropriate content appears through messages, you can address it with your child straight away.

5. Password-protect all accounts and devices

From phones to computers to apps, put a password on it. That way, no one without the password can access you or your child’s device. Keep track of passwords by using a password manager.

6. Update your operating systems regularly

All of your devices from mobile phones or tablets to computers and smartwatches receive important updates in response to security issues on a regular basis. Be sure to install them regularly so you have the most up-to-date security fixes and remain safe online. Our recommendation is to set updates to install automatically so your device is less vulnerable to known attacks. Usually, you can find this feature in Settings, then select Automatic Updates, but it varies between devices.

7. Install security or antivirus software programs and a VPN on your computer

Additionally, cybersecurity or antivirus software programs prevent spyware or viruses that may harm your computer if your child visits a malicious site. Using these programs, parents can also set up regular virus checks and deep system scans to make sure there is no harmful activity happening under your nose.

A VPN hides users’ internet activity from snoops and spoofs your location. This protects your kids by making sure hackers or predators can’t detect their actual location. You can install a VPN on your router so that the location is spoofed on all connected devices. 

8. Set parental controls

It may seem obvious, but parental controls are crucial to your child’s safety online. Parent controls are built-in features included on devices and apps. With these features, parents customise their child’s online experience. What parental controls are available on each device or app varies, but in general, they limit screen time, restrict content, and enhance user privacy.

Features of parental controls:

  • Limit screen time.
  • Turn off in-app purchasing.
  • Prevent inappropriate or mature content.
  • Limit website access.
  • Play, message, or send/receive content with approved contacts only.
  • Monitor device location through GPS.

Take time to look at what parental controls are available on your child’s commonly used apps. Then, set them to reflect the type of experience you think is best for your child or teen’s online safety.

IET raises concerns Online Safety Bill ‘does not go far enough’

A joint comment from Catherine Allen, co-author of the IET’s Safeguarding the metaverse report and member of the IET’s Digital Policy Panel, and child safety advocate and IET Honorary Fellow, Carol Vorderman M.A.(Cantab) MBE:

“Today’s harrowing verdict in the Molly Russell case has once again highlighted the urgent need for policy makers to take emerging technologies that pose a serious safety risk to individuals, most notably children, seriously. It is vital legislation within the new Online Safety Bill fully protects children from online harms, particularly unregulated content. It currently does not go far enough and this is dangerous.  

“We’ve already had a delay in legislation, now it seems aspects of the Bill relating to children will remain untouched. The rapid speed in which online platforms evolve, such as experiential environments accessed via virtual and augmented reality, mean new threats emerge daily. There is currently no provision within the Bill for safeguarding online users in ‘live’ scenarios where they can fully interact with strangers.

“Whether it is social media, a virtual reality headset or a metaverse gaming platform, politicians must avoid trivialising or feeling mystified by new technology platforms. Yes, there are complex factors to consider, like protecting our existing rights to freedom of expression, but that doesn’t mean we can delay addressing underlying problems.

“We must fully safeguard the metaverse, and protect individuals online.”