Charity demands action to protect children from online sex predators
A children's charity has laid out how the Government should protect youngsters from web predators, after it was revealed two online sex crimes a day take place against children in the region.
The NSPCC’s 'How the Wild West Web Should Be Won' report sets out how the upcoming Online Harms Bill must set the global standard in protecting children on the web.
With crucial decisions just days away, the charity is urging the Government to ensure they level the playing field for children, and new laws finally force tech firms to tackle the avoidable harm caused by their sites.
The call comes as new analysis of the latest ONS data shows the number of online sex crimes against children recorded by West Mercia Police reached the equivalent of 1.9 a day between January and March this year, highlighting the sheer scale of web abuse.
The NSPCC says the Bill must create an expansive, principles-based duty of care, comprehensively tackle online sexual abuse, put legal but harmful content and an equal footing with illegal material, have robust transparency and investigatory powers, hold industry to account with criminal and financial sanctions, and give civil society a legal voice for children with user advocacy arrangements.
The charity's chief executive, Peter Wanless, said that “failing to pass any of the six tests will mean that rather than tech companies paying the cost of their inaction, future generations of children will pay with serious harm and sexual abuse that could have been stopped.”
He added: "Industry inaction is fuelling this staggering number of sex crimes against children and the fallout from coronavirus has heightened the risks of abuse now and in the future.
“The Prime Minister has the chance of a lifetime to change this by coming down on the side of children and families, with urgent regulation that is a bold and ambitious UK plan to truly change the landscape of online child protection.
“The Online Harms Bill must become a Government priority, with unwavering determination to take the opportunity to finally end the avoidable, serious harm children face online because of unaccountable tech firms.”
