Displaying items by tag: protecting children

The UK's Online Safety Act, signed into law last week, introduces new rules aimed at protecting children online. Ofcom has unveiled its first draft codes of practice under the act, focusing on illegal material such as grooming content, fraud, and child sexual abuse. The rules include limiting direct messages and removing them from suggested friend lists to protect children. Tech platforms will be legally required to keep children's location data private and restrict who can send direct messages to them. Ofcom will publish more rules in the coming months, with each new code requiring parliamentary approval. The goal is to enforce the codes by the end of next year. The act also encourages the use of technology to identify illegal images of abuse and prevent their dissemination.