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Ofcom: New report published on Internet safety measures

A new Ofcom report was released today on family friendly network level filtering services and online safety. Following the request of the Prime Minister and DCMS in 2013, Ofcom is producing three reports that look at the take-up, awareness of and confidence of parents on filtering controls and strategies parents may take to better childrens’ online safety. This second report specifically addresses the implementation of the recommended policy by the Prime Minister.

The report looks at the progress of safety measures of the four major fixed line ISPs: BT, Sky TalkTalk, and VirginMedia, evaluating the scope of the filters, the implementation of network level filtering monitors, and the email notification systems ISPs use to update account holders. The report found that the ISPs have now completed the initial phase of family friendly filtering, successfully engaging new customers who join broadband service. The next stage will be to enrol existing customers, and is expected to be completed by the end of this year.

Articles on Child Online Safety:

Sonia Livingstone: Progress Report on Children’s Online Safety: More Risks, but also More Skills

Svenja Ottovordemgentschenfelde: An Experts’ Dialogue: Child Safety for the Online World

Sonia Livingstone: UK ISPs Launch Internet Matters Filters & Resources for Parents; Will they use it?

photo by Lars Plougmann CC BY-SA 2.0

By |July 22nd, 2014|0 Comments|
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    ‘DRIP’-ping on the Fast Track: UK passes new data retention law

‘DRIP’-ping on the Fast Track: UK passes new data retention law

Yesterday the UK Parliament passed the Data Retention and Investigatory Powers (DRIP) Bill into law. The Bill was fast-tracked without a vote being labelled as emergency legislation, after only one week of being released to the public, and given royal assent within hours. The new law expands British authorities’ surveillance capabilities allowing them to retain metadata, something the government has argued is necessary in order to  act against terrorists, pedophiles, and other criminals.

The proposers also claimed the bill serves to fill a gap left when the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) rejected the EU’s Data Retention Directive  in April claiming it lacked privacy safeguards. DRIP will only be valid until 2016. The government argues the law only clarifies existing law seen in the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA), and extends it to cover that which “consists in or includes facilitating the creation, management or storage of communications”.

Digital rights activists the Open Rights Group have already begun action to test the law in European Courts.

Photo by ‘Simon and His Camera’ CC BY-ND 2.0

By |July 18th, 2014|0 Comments|
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    Neelie Kroes at Information Influx: Calling for Copyright Reform!

Neelie Kroes at Information Influx: Calling for Copyright Reform!

In her keynote speech yesterday at the Information Influx conference at the Institute for Information Law in Amsterdam, EC Vice-President and leader of the Digital Agenda Neelie Kroes addressed copyright reform at the EU level and the necessary steps for policymakers leading into the next legislative period. The speech comes ahead of the anticipated White Paper on Copyright, set to be released this summer.

Kroes argued that policy-making needs to focus on four key initiatives: the promotion of creativity and innovation, improving reward for creators and bridging the gap between them and their audience, enabling a digital single market across the EU, and lastly creating a legal framework that allows for balanced innovation in the digital market to occur. Kroes emphasised the preparatory work that has been done in terms of consultations, dialogue, etc. The speech put forth an overarching sentiment that the harmonisation of the digital single market can be achieved through copyright policy reform.

For the full speech transcript:

http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_SPEECH-14-528_en.htm

Photo by Sebastian ter Burg  CC BY-SA 2.0

By |July 3rd, 2014|0 Comments|
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    ‘The Right Direction’: Reding on U.S. announcement of data protection agreement

‘The Right Direction’: Reding on U.S. announcement of data protection agreement

The European Commission has released a statement by EC Vice-President Viviane Reding today commenting on U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder’s announcement that the Obama administration is looking to extend to EU citizens guarantees of the Privacy Act that are currently only applicable to U.S. citizens. At today’s Justice Ministerial meeting in Athens, Reding stated the following:

“The announcement made today by the Attorney General of the U.S. Mr Eric Holder to take legislative action in order to provide for judicial redress for Europeans who do not live in the U.S. is an important step in the right direction.

Legislative action by the U.S. Congress establishing enforceable judicial redress rights for Europeans in the U.S. can open the door to closing the deal on the data protection umbrella agreement.

The U.S. administration is now announcing that it will take legislative action to fill the gap between the rights that U.S. citizens enjoy in the EU today and the rights EU citizens do not have in the U.S. – something which the Commission has been arguing for during the past three years. This is an important first step towards rebuilding trust in our transatlantic relations.

Now the announcement should be swiftly translated into legislation so that further steps can be taken in the negotiation. Words only matter if put into law. We are waiting for the legislative step.”

Factsheet on EU-US negotiations on Data Protection

By |June 25th, 2014|0 Comments|
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    UNESCO Report Released: World Trends in Freedom of Expression and Media Development

UNESCO Report Released: World Trends in Freedom of Expression and Media Development

The newly released report World Trends in Freedom of Expression and Media Development reveals recent changes in media freedom, independence, pluralism and journalist safety, with each of these being explored at the international level in reference to gender and global media. The report acts as the basis of a summary report, presented to the General Conference of UNESCO Member States in November 2013, acts as a summary report on the current state of press freedom and the safety of journalists.

The report shows an overarching global trend for media freedom, pluralism, independence and safety of journalists of disruption and change evoked by technology and, to some extent, the global financial crisis. The new trends have seen impacts in traditional economic and organizational structures in news media, regulatory and legal frameworks, journalism practices, and media consumption and productivity. The full report and executive summary can be accessed here:

http://www.unesco.org/new/en/communication-and-information/resources/publications-and-communication-materials/publications/full-list/world-trends-in-freedom-of-expression-and-media-development/

By |June 13th, 2014|0 Comments|
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    Ofcom Report Released on Media Use: ‘Tablets help drive increase in older people going online’

Ofcom Report Released on Media Use: ‘Tablets help drive increase in older people going online’

Ofcom published its annual Adults Media Use and Attitudes Report today, showing an increase to 42% of people aged 65 and over accessing the Internet in 2013; compared to 33% in 2012. The report shows the increase to be largely due to an increase in the use of tablets; from 5% in 2012 to 17% in 2013.

As a result, the overall use of the Internet among adults has jumped from 19% in 2012 to 83% in 2013. The report reveals differences in use between older adults and young people are still significant however, with younger people (16-24 year olds) spending over 24 hours per week on average online, compared to only just over 9 hours for those over 65.

The report details other aspects of adult media literacy, such as the use of apps, social media, and mixed media consumption.

As part of the Communications Act 2003, Ofcom is required to promote media literacy in the UK, and carry out research on related matters. Past reports and publications on adult media literacy can be accessed here.

For more information on media literacy, check out the LSE Media Policy Project’s new Idiot’s Guide on Media Literacy in the UK and Europe, as well as blog posts on media literacy from our experts. For regular updates of blog posts, events, and resources on media literacy, please subscribe to the LSE Media Policy Planner.

By |April 29th, 2014|0 Comments|
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