February 2024
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This conference examined next steps for online safety policy and implementation in the UK, following the Online Safety Act coming into law, and with Ofcom publishing a series of regulatory guides for stakeholders including on protection of children from online pornography.
It brought together policymakers with stakeholders to discuss practicalities and challenges for implementation, implications for stakeholders, and outstanding issues and concerns that may need to be addressed.
Discussion was focused on the development of the regulatory framework and how it is applied, provision of clarity in guidance to stakeholders on responsibilities and how they can meet their obligations, and frameworks for collaboration on online safety across sectors involved in content and delivery, along with relationships with regulators.
Delegates explored legal issues and implications of developments such as super-complaints and processes for them being raised and responded to, digital ID and how age verification systems will work following recent guidance, and the future of end-to-end encryption.
Attendees considered roles and responsibilities in protection of the range of end-user groups - and particularly safeguarding young people from pornographic content - as well as how to implement and manage a balance between measures that protect young people and other vulnerable groups, while enabling access by adults to their choices of legal content.
The agenda also looked at priorities for innovation in technology to support online safety, the role of new technologies such as AI in identification and response to harm, and how regulation and technology will be able to adapt as new forms of threat emerge.
We also expected discussion on how regulators can step up to deal with added pressures on their resources, and how they work with stakeholders in industry and advocacy groups - as well as priorities for international collaboration in online safety, and possible pathways to coordination at a global level.
Further sessions looked at support for online users to enable them to protect themselves, including public information and the roles of the education system and families in raising the awareness of children and young people on safety of personal data, online relationships, dangers of fraud, and heightened media literacy and awareness of misinformation.
We are pleased to have been able to include keynote sessions with: Jessica Smith, Principal, Online Safety, Ofcom; Maeve Walsh, Director, Online Safety Act Network; Lorin LaFave, Founder, The Breck Foundation; and Ian Stevenson, Chair, Online Safety Tech Industry Association.
The conference was an opportunity for stakeholders to consider the issues alongside key policy officials who attended from the CMA; DfE; DHSC; DSIT; HMRC; House of Commons Library; HSE; ICO; IPO; NAO; NCA; Ofcom; and the Welsh Government.
