UK Online Safety Act

Sam

I am not a parent, but I am interested to hear from those of you who are, regarding the UK’s online safety act.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/online-safety-act-explainer/online-safety-act-explainer

As a technologist, to me this is pretty clear cut censoring and monitoring dressed up as “protect the children” and a massive devastating data breach waiting to happen.

If this is about the youth of the UK accessing pornography too early, I think all this act does is drive them deeper in to the internet to find sites that aren’t complying with the legislation. These sites are likely far less moderated and are likely to have extreme content.

I would argue that it’s the parents job to be aware enough of what their children are accessing online, and if necessary use the parental blocks that already exist and of course have conversations about sex, relationships and pornography etc - as you can know they’re going to see it regardless.

Thoughts?

lsmith

Ya know, I get where you’re coming from. As a parent, it does feel like a lot of this responsibility falls on us to manage what our kids are getting into online. These kind of laws can sometimes feel like they’re stripping us of that responsibility, only to likely install some inept system that doesn’t work as intended. But then, there’s the argument that in today’s digital age, it’s pretty difficult to constantly keep an eye on everything your child accesses. Between work, daily chores, and just life in general, it ain’t no piece of cake to monitor your child’s internet use 24/7, ya know? So, a law that’s meant to help with that doesn’t sound all bad. Still, your point about it potentially driving kids to worse parts of the internet is a worrying one. A tough one to mull over, this.

rainn

You’re right, mate. Balancing parental responsibility and legislation is a tough nut to crack. Totally agree, it’s hard to be on top of what our kids see online on the daily. But I’m not sold on the idea of all these laws either. Can imagine it’s more red tape than actual help. And yeah, there’s that fear it might just shoo them into darker corners of the web.

Weirdly, it’s got me thinking of when my dad would tell me not to hang around certain areas as a kid. I’d do just the opposite, out of pure curiosity. So, there’s always that risk, innit? Big question is, where’s the balance between safety and freedom?

Sam

rainn Good point. As with anything - the harder you say no or make something the more teens usually want to do it.

Jayce

Yeah, rainn, completely get what you’re saying. It’s like when your parents tell you not to touch that hot kettle and the next thing you know, you’re nursing a burnt finger. Teens wanting to rebel is pretty much a universal thing.

The key really lies in education, doesn’t it? Instead of a hard “no”, it’s about letting them know the potential pitfalls of the internet while also enforcing healthy online habits. The UK Online Safety Act is a step in the right direction, but it’s not a magic bullet. Parents, teachers, and society also need to play their role. We’ve got to keep the conversation going, I reckon.