Regulating New Media: UK Council for Child Internet Safety

Many parents now realise that the media landscape in which they grew up is being changed forever by the next wave of young consumers. For the first ever time in the UK under-16s are shunning the TV and putting down their comics and magazines in favour of using the Internet to find out about the world around them.

A generation brought up on the web is great news for advertisers, who can target children online with more accuracy than ever before – but it can be a real headache for parents. Because children usually navigate the Internet without parental monitoring, it means that they’re more likely to see images – including adverts – which many parents would consider inappropriate.

Regulating The Internet

In response to parents’ and campaigners’ fears about the way children are experiencing content on the Internet, the government formed the UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS) in 2008. The council brings together the work of more than 100 campaigning organisations and watchdogs, many of whom are committed to protecting children from harmful online content.

The fact that the council reports directly to Prime Minister Gordon Brown shows just how high-profile the issue of children's safety on the Internet really is - and with good reason. According to a report commissioned by the council, one in five kids worldwide say they use the Internet for purposes their parents wouldn't necessarily approve of. Also worrying for parents is the fact that the polls show the average age for kids' first glimpse of Internet porn is 11.

The Council's Aims

The council aims to allay parents' fears by bringing in tough new rules governing the content that children can see online. Many commentators see it as a challenging remit considering just how vast the world of Internet content really is. The council’s aims include:

Making sure that advertisers act responsibly when advertising to children online. This includes making sure that adverts are honest, fair and don’t include images or content which could be seen as harmful to children.

Dealing with ‘anti-social’ sites. This includes taking down sites that could promote anti-social behaviour, such as peer-to-peer networks that share images of violence or verbal bullying.

Monitoring social networking sites. Many teens and children now belong to one of the fast-growing online communities. The council aims to make these sites sign up to a voluntary code of practice, which includes safeguarding young people’s private data from potential marketers.

Thinking Global

Though many campaigners have welcomed the formation of the council – others have pointed out the limitations of their remit. The council are encouraging parents to report sites which are harmful to kids. However, surveys show that children are often unwilling to show parents problematic sites, because they are worried about being punished and having their Internet privileges taken away. As previously noted, there’s also the sheer global scale of the Internet to contend with. True worldwide co-operation will be required if the council wants to shut down sites on the other side of the world.

Parents Must Play Their Part

Although the formation of UKCCIS shows a welcome concern by the government to make issues surrounding children’s advertising on the Internet a priority, in reality there’s only so much legal bodies can do to protect children. The most important way to protect your child from inappropriate advertising is still to monitor what they’re viewing online – and helping them to understand which sites are suitable for their age.