More Rules Being Considered To Keep Children Safe Online

The authorities is considering further action to support children safe online and will not "sit backmost and wait" connected nan issue, a furniture curate has said.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander told nan BBC caller age-verification rules opening later this period would person a "really important" impact.

She said nan regulations, to beryllium overseen by media regulator Ofcom, would not beryllium nan "end of nan conversation" connected online safety.

Ofcom leader Melanie Dawes vowed to rigorously enforce nan caller requirements, adding nan regulator "means business". But she acknowledged Ofcom whitethorn require further ineligible powers successful bid to support gait pinch nan quickly processing effect of artificial intelligence (AI).

Under caller powers introduced by nan Online Safety Act and passed nether nan erstwhile Tory government, Ofcom will require net companies to behaviour stricter property verification methods to cheque whether a personification is nether 18.

A caller codification of practice, to use from 25 July, will besides require platforms to alteration algorithms affecting what is shown successful children's feeds to select retired harmful content.

At nan past election, Labour committed to "build on" nan erstwhile government's rule and see further measures to support children safe.

But it is yet to people caller authorities of its own, pinch ministers arguing nan existing group of caller regulations request to beryllium rolled retired first.

Speaking to Sunday pinch Laura Kuenssberg, Alexander said nan caller rules would bring successful "really robust safeguards" to guarantee due property verification.

But she added: "We are very clear arsenic a authorities that this is nan instauration for a safer online acquisition for children, but it is not nan extremity of nan conversation".

She said Technology Secretary Peter Kyle was looking astatine further action successful a number of areas, including really to reside "addictive habits" among children, though she did not supply further details.

"We're not going to beryllium a authorities that sits backmost and waits connected this, we want to reside it," she added.

Ofcom's main executive told nan programme nan caller rules would mean tech platforms would person to alteration their contented algorithms "very significantly".

Ms Dawes said nan regulator would springiness websites immoderate elasticity erstwhile deciding which age-verification devices to use, but pledged that those failing to put capable checks successful spot "will perceive from america pinch enforcement action".

However, she acknowledged immoderate newer forms of AI "may not" beryllium covered beryllium powers contained successful nan existing legislation.

"There whitethorn request to beryllium immoderate changes to nan authorities to screen that," she added.