Making the Internet a Safer Place – Realistic?

Making the Internet a Safer Place

Recent high profile media reports have stirred some interesting debates surrounding the extent and ease to which child abuse images are available on the Internet.  This has further fuelled debates about how we can make the Internet a safer place.

The phrase “making the Internet a safer place” is an incredibly misleading one, especially when used in the context of combating behaviour and risk with technology.

There is no denying that appropriate technology has a part to play, and by appropriate I mean technologies such as hashing and PhotoDNA, which essentially fingerprint known images.  There is also no argument that we need to do as much as possible to rid these types of images and videos from the Internet.  The recent donations from the likes of Google will be hugely welcomed by the team at the IWF who do an extraordinarily difficult job, but at the same time it is disappointing to see that CEOP, who do an equally difficult job, have their funding cut.

But that is not a cure; it is simply a sticking plaster over a much wider issue, and therein lies the difficulty, it is such a wide issue that no single initiative will touch the surface of the root cause.

Schools are under pressure to further innovate with technology across the curriculum, yet it is disheartening (but understandable) that some are nervous due to the fear of e-safety risk.

When I talk to parents, their knowledge of online behaviour and risk is generally very low.

As a serving Special Constable I see frontline Police colleagues continually struggling with “online issues” with little to no understanding and woeful resources to investigate.

I see media reports of Government ministers calling for all parents to spy on their kids online activities and for the application of nationwide Internet filtering.

Those are just a few simple examples where the agenda is clearly not working.

There is no more despicable act than the abuse of a child, but the issues are far more widespread.  Technology cannot prevent the making and distribution of this sickening act.  Similarly technology cannot stop people from committing suicide, bullying, self-harming, promoting hatred and much more.

So what is the cure?  Let’s be totally honest, let’s be pragmatic; there is no cure. There is no single initiative that will make a significant dent.  The word ‘eradicate’ needs to be taken off the agenda and replaced with something that is practical and manageable.

Everybody has their part to play:

  • Education – real engagement with children and young people, not scaremongering.
  • Parents – targeted initiatives to engage with more parents to empower them with knowledge and understanding.
  • Law enforcement – more education to frontline officers, not just specialized departments.  More resources for investigators to upscale their enormous task.
  • Technology companies and service providers – they provide these services, they have a duty of care.
  • Government – all of the above needs to be brought together, appropriately managed, and wrapped in clear policy.

This has got to be a journey of many parts:

  • Due diligence and engagement with people who know what they are talking about from all of the above.
  • Proper planning to ensure the multiple parts can work together and not silo their own initiatives.
  • Clear, realistic, manageable milestones and outcomes.
  • Small, robust positive steps forward, not kneejerk reaction.
  • Proper financial backing with appropriate oversight.

The government has done the right thing by bringing to the fore the issue of child abuse images on the Internet.  It is only through prevention that a significant dent will be made.  Prevention is only possible through appropriate education and law enforcement.  Education and law enforcement requires policy.

Over to you ministers.

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