Online Child Safety Campaign Extended January 2003

The UK Government has announced the extension of its Internet safety awareness campaign with a series of hard hitting TV and radio advertisements reminding children that people on line may not be who they say they are.

The £1m campaign coincides with the publication of important new good practice guidelines for the Internet industry on how they can play their part in raising standards to improve child safety. These guidelines are the first of their kind in the world and will help those companies providing services such as Chat, Instant Messaging, and wider Web-based services to really ensure that young people are helped to use the Internet more safely.

For the last 18 months, Childnet staff been heavily involved in the UK Government Task Force which brought together representatives from child welfare organisations, industry, law enforcement and education to design the campaign and produce this new advice. Nigel Williams, Childnet’s CEO says, “Whist these guidelines for industry are voluntary, they are extremely welcome and provide extensive advice about important online Child protection issues. The challenge now is for companies-not just in the UK – but worldwide to follow this advice and keep child safety concerns at the forefront as the technology develops.”

Childnet will be keen to ensure that other countries learn from this experience in the UK.