By Martin Coulter
LONDON (Reuters) – The United States and Britain set up a joint working group on Thursday to look at ways to improve children’s safety online.
At the launch, US Trade Secretary Gina Raimondo and UK Science and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle issued a statement urging tech platforms to go “further and faster” to protect children.
WHY IT’S IMPORTANT
Hugely popular social media platforms such as Instagram and Snapchat are already coming under increasing scrutiny for their impact on children. This, the first transatlantic government plan of its kind, will only increase that focus.
US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy warned last year that young people who use social media are at risk of body image problems, eating disorders, poor sleep quality and low self-esteem, especially among adolescent girls.
According to figures published by the NSPCC (the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Young Children), Snapchat was responsible for 43% of cases in Britain where social media was used to distribute indecent images of children.
According to the NSPCC research, Meta’s platforms – Facebook (NASDAQ:), Instagram and WhatsApp – were used in 33% of child abuse crimes on social media.
Social media companies including Snap and Meta have pledged to work with officials to protect young users, saying they have introduced new tools designed to protect teens online, including parental control features.
CONTEXT
Lawmakers in both the US and Britain have been working in recent years to introduce new restrictions on online platforms.
In the US, two bills – the Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act and the Kids Online Safety Act, nicknamed COPPA 2.0 and KOSA – have passed the Senate but are awaiting a vote in the House of Representatives.
In Great Britain, the Online Safety Act must come into force before the end of 2024. By law, social media companies must prevent children from accessing harmful and age-inappropriate content, including pornography, by enforcing age limits and age verification measures.
Companies that fail to comply could face fines of up to 18 million pounds ($22.3 million) or 10% of their annual global turnover under British law.
IMPORTANT QUOTE
“The digital world knows no borders and working with our international partners like the US – one of our closest allies and home to the largest technology companies – is essential,” said Kyle.
