This collection of case studies explores real-world news stories highlighting how children and young people can be placed at risk through their online activities.
The collection is drawn from real cases investigated by the Cyber Choices team at the National Crime Agency and stories reported in the press.
All of these cases could have been prevented had parents been able to monitor their child's online activity and intervene.
Extremist views online may be contributing to young people wanting to carry out violence, a psychologist has warned.
It comes after an Edinburgh teenager who wanted to carry out a mass shooting at his own school was jailed for six years. The STV News article goes on to describe the possible sequence teenagers can go through to make them radicalised enough to undertake etreme acts.
For the full story visit the STV News site here.
This story is in two parts. Part 1 is an article by Laura Kuenssberg. The BBC news item describes some of the issues arising from the new Online Safety Act that the Act does not deal with. It identifies some fairly important aspects of a childs online life that are not addressed and which could put them at risk. The article can be read here.
Part2 is an analysis of the act using an AI analysis tool to identify what is not covered by the Act and then checking the list against the act itself:
The UK's Online Safety Act, while comprehensive, does not cover everything related to online safety, particularly for adults. It primarily focuses on illegal content and activity, but some areas of concern remain, including legal but harmful content for adults, the effectiveness of age verification methods, and the potential impact of AI chatbots.
Here's a more detailed breakdown:
Areas not covered or with limitations:
Legal but harmful content for adults:
The original draft of the bill included provisions to address content that, while legal, could cause significant harm to adults. However, these provisions were removed due to concerns about free speech and potential overreach.
Age verification methods:
While the act mandates age verification for certain content, the specific methods are not dictated by the regulator, and there are ongoing concerns about the effectiveness and potential privacy implications of various approaches, including the use of selfies or bank details.
AI chatbots:
The rapid advancement of AI and the increasing use of chatbots, particularly by children, are not fully addressed by the current legislation.
Private messaging apps:
The act doesn't fully cover private messaging apps, especially those with end-to-end encryption, which can pose risks to children.
Content shared between children:
The act doesn't directly regulate content shared between children on platforms like messaging apps, even if that content is harmful.
Harmful but legal online challenges:
The act does not directly address risky online challenges, stunts, or in-app purchases, like loot boxes, that can lead to harm for some users.
General online abuse:
While the act addresses hate speech related to protected characteristics, it doesn't fully cover the widespread online abuse and harassment that many individuals, including sports participants, experience.
Future-proofing against emerging technologies:
Concerns have been raised about whether the act is adequately future-proofed to address technologies like VPNs and DNS over HTTPs.
Story: Fifty young people including children of primary school age have been referred to a specialist policing team that tackles online crime across the East Midlands.
The East Midlands Special Operations Unit (EMSOU) says this was due to the behaviour of some youngsters, who have hacked school websites to post rude messages, or change their grades.
For the full story click here.
Source - The Cyber Trust
