New web watchdog to protect children

 

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By Stuart Turton and Reuters

Posted on 29 Sep 2008 at 11:05

The Government has set up a new internet watchdog aimed at protecting children from online threats, such as pornography.

The UK Council for Child Internet Safety will be backed by 100 companies, including Microsoft and Google, social networking sites Facebook and MySpace and mobile phone companies including Vodafone.

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith says the coalition is the largest ever set up to safeguard young people online.

The new body will attempt to teach children about possible online dangers and establish a code of conduct for sites that allow people to post their own video clips or messages. This code will encourage sites to take down violent or pornographic content within a prescribed timeframe and tackle bullying on message boards and forums.

In March, a report for the Government by psychologist Tanya Byron included a range of measures to protect children, including a call to set up a child safety council.

"The council will be a powerful union of some of our key players giving support to parents and guidance to children," she says.

Culture Secretary Andy Burnham says the watchdog would help ensure that "what is unacceptable offline should not be acceptable online."