What is OFCOM and what does it do?
OFCOM is the office of communications and they are a government-approved regulatory and competition authority for the broadcasting of telecoms and postal industries of the UK. OFCOM holds powers across television, radio, telecoms, and postal sectors.
In February 2020, the Government announced it was minded to appoint Ofcom as the regulator for online safety in the UK
OFCOM plays an important part in ensuring that people can use communication services. They also regulate tv and radio to ensure that listeners are not exposed to harmful and offensive materials. They work with a range of companies to make sure that they provide high-quality programming that will appeal to a wide variety of audiences. They also ensure that people are protected from unfair treatment in programmes, and don’t have their privacy invaded.
What Is Online Harm?
Online harm is behaviour online which may have a negative impact on a person either physically or mentally. This could mean that harmful content has been posted online publicly, or the content could have been sent directly to the person to whom it is harmful.
There are various different sources of potential harm that can come from online. This includes:
- Social media, such as Facebook and Twitter
- Instant messengers, such as Discord and Snapchat
- Video sharing platforms, such as Youtube and Twitch
- Gaming platforms, such as Xbox and Playstation
Although social media and online platforms can be a good thing in modern times, they have also brought a lot of negatives. This means things such as cyberbullying. This is the use of electronic communication to bully another person, typically by intimidating or threatening them. This can have seriously dire consequences on a person’s mental health.
Another thing identified as online harm is radicalisation. In modern times terrorist groups have taken to using social media to attempt to radicalise young, and vulnerable individuals. They have also started using social media platforms to upload videos of their attacks.
Another online harm which specifically affects children is the number of sex offenders that pretend to be children or don’t try to hide their true identity at all. They do this in hopes to groom young children. This is highly illegal but can be difficult to prove sometimes.
Why does content online need regulating?
One of the reasons why content needs regulating online is because of the statistics. Around ⅓ of people say that they feel at risk online, this means that they don’t feel comfortable online or they don’t feel comfortable with having their children online.
A further 8 out of 10 adults have concerns about going online. Adults seem to be mostly concerned about their personal data and information being stolen and scams/ fraud. But when it comes to their children being online, their main concerns are material showing child sexual abuse.
Why Are OFCOM Qualified To Be Online Harm Regulators?
OFCOM has many, many years of experience in tackling harmful content without disrupting free expression. They have done extensive world-class research on trends and online habits and attitudes. As well as this, they have many very strong relationships within the industry.
These are with companies who are policymakers, academic experts, charities, and other regulators. All of this means that the government was accurately minded to appoint OFCOM as the online harm regulator.
What Is The Government’s Intention?
The government intends for online platforms to have appropriate systems and processes in place to protect the users. If the online platforms do not have appropriate systems in place, then OFCOM will take action against the platform. OFCOM has said that it will be focussing heavily on serious harm, this includes illegal content, as well as things that affect children.
What can I do if I have harmful content online?
If you have harmful content that can be found online, simply give us a call and we will give you a quote for removal or give you free advice.