UK's Ofcom Publishes Parental Guide Explaining Online Safety Act Rules
The U.K. Office of Communications Thursday published a guide to help parents keep their children safe online.
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The measures are part of Ofcom's wider safety rules under the Online Safety Act (OSA), which protects everyone from illegal content online and children from harmful content, Ofcom noted.
In March, the regulator began monitoring providers of online file-sharing and file-storage services that pose particular risks to users from child sexual abuse materials (see 2503180005). It also ordered platforms to begin removing illegal content and reduce the risk of it spreading on their sites.
All sites and apps children may use, regardless of the device on which they're accessed, must now follow the new rules, Ofcom's guide said. That means preventing children from encountering content such as sites related to suicide, self-harm, eating disorders, abusive material, bullying and pornography.
Platforms must now perform effective age checks, refrain from allowing algorithms to feed harmful content to children, take down harmful content quickly, and give youngsters more control over their online experiences, the guide said. In addition, they must make it easier for children to report content or complain about issues, and all such services must designate a person responsible for children's safety.
Ofcom urged parents to talk to their children about what they do online, make sure they register with online services using their real age, and use parental controls. Children also need to know how to report inappropriate or harmful content, it said.