The British authorities have proposed a new plan for protecting children on the Internet. Popular social networks such as Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok will be required to adapt their algorithms to limit or decrease the priority of malicious content. This proposal is one of more than 40 practical steps that technological companies should implement in accordance with the British online security law adopted in October last year.
According to the OFCOM regulator, the platforms will also need to introduce reliable mechanisms of age checking to exclude children’s access to content related to suicides, self-confinement, and pornography.
OFCOM Chief Executive Director, Melanie Daw, emphasized the importance of the new laws in protecting young internet users. She mentioned that previously, the safety of the younger generation on the Internet was at risk due to harmful content that children could neither avoid nor control. Developers will now have to revise the mechanisms of recommendations and censorship to ensure that the content children see complies with the norms.
The Minister of Technology of Great Britain, Michel Donelan, stated that the introduction of age-related restrictions, along with the regulation of algorithms, will drastically change children’s internet experience. Donelan warned large platforms about possible fines and stressed the importance of taking immediate measures.
OFCOM plans to release the final practice code within a year after the end of the consulting period, which concludes on July 17. The implementation of the project will commence after approval by the parliament.
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