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As the festive season and end of year draws near, we wanted to share one more update and to thank you for your support and feedback. There is always something happening in our industry and plenty to keep across. Some of the items featured include:
  • A possible online safety definition that could be used as the basis for the development of a professional community.
  • The launch of Project Lantern, a cross-platform signal sharing program to combat online child exploitation and abuse (OCSEA) by the Tech Coalition and eight tech partners launch.
  • AI being used to create compelling fakes fueling disinformation around the Israel-Hamas conflict, and by students to make indecent images of other students.
  • The closure of Omeagle, an anonymous chat service, after 14 controversy filled years.

Is this a definition to build a community on?


There has never been a clear and widely accepted online safety definition that identifies what it is – and who (or what) it is for. As a result, there has a been a wide variation in practices under the online safety banner, and an equally wide variation in their quality. When you are trying to attract people to an industry or explain the cause, it is important to use a consistent explanation. This article provides a possible definition alongside an explanation and explores the foundations of a thriving community and profession.
This is a starting contribution towards developing online safety industry standards, measuring the impact of our collective efforts, and coordinating activity – and building a community. This is activity that the OSX would like to focus more on in 2024, and we hope you’ll join us.

Emerging

AI and sexual images

The UK Safer Internet Centre (UKSIC) says it has begun receiving small numbers of reports that children are making indecent images of other children using AI image generators.

AI and Deepfakes

Faked images and video from the Israel-Hamas war circulate online illustrating the increasing contribution to propaganda and disinformation of Artificial Intelligence.

Metaverse

eSafety Australia has released a report showing 71% of metaverse users had had a negative experience in the last 12 months - including incidents specific to virtual environments.

Project Lantern

Launched Nov 7, 2023
Lantern is a cross-platform signal sharing program hosted by the Tech Coalition utilising technology developed by Meta designed to strengthen the enforcement of child safety policies.
Participating companies upload signals to Lantern about activity that violates their policies as identified on their platform and other participating companies can then select from the signals available and run those selected signal against their platform. It is expected that Lantern will enable improved detection and prosecution of criminal activity - even in end-to-end encrypted environments.

Research

Cyberbullying
This report from Stranmore University College highlights the nature and extent of cyberbullying among children and young people (8-18yrs) in Northern Ireland. Thirteen percent of respondents reported somebody had been mean to them in the last two months.

Security
Cybernews undertook research analysing over 56 million leaked and breached passwords. They find 123456 remains the most commonly used password (with 12345 and password in second and third place respectively) and that weak and reused passwords still common.

Shopping and Scams
A 13 country survey by Gen Digital Inc (Norton) finds ecommerce shoppers are generally confident about shopping online - but concerned about falling victim to cybercrime, AI shopping scams
and fake online stores.

Regulation Roundup

Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Human Resources and Social Development Ahmed Al-Rajhi launched a National Framework for Children’s Online Safety in collaboration with UNICEF.

Sri Lanka
Amendments have been made to the Online Safety Bill including moving the authority to appoint Commission members with the Constitution Council (from the President) .

India
The Department of Consumer Affairs held a stakeholder consultation to create a set of self-regulatory principles for the safe sale of goods by online platforms.

Australia
eSafety Commissioner releases draft standards for Designated Internet Services to tackle terrorist content and child abuse material without compromising end-to-end encryption.

UK
The Government has launched a consultation on the possibility of allowing approved parties to submit "super-complaints" to OFCOM about safety and freedom of expression.

USA
The Senate Judicial Committee subpoenas the CEO's of Meta, TikTok, Discord, Snap, and X to testify about children's safety online.

Tech Industry

Omeagle
Omeagle, an anonymous chat service, has closed after 14 years of operation and years of user abuse concerns. The announcement of its closure noted the abuse on the platform and said the service was not sustainable.

X / Twitter

Sandy Hook denier Alan Jones is allowed to return to the platform against a backdrop of departing organisations citing harmful content and an increasing advertiser boycott that Elon Musk notes could kill the company .

Meta
Meta has made a call for legislative change as part of a new strategy for child safety. Recommends that app stores be made legally liable for parental approvals as part of app downloading process for children.
Four new technology firms (Anthropic, Discord, Open AI, and Vimeo) and seven new partner organisations join the Christchurch Call as its leaders consider establishing an independent secretariat.

Podcasts

Interface
The Interface team are running a short podcast (under 5 minutes each) series called 12 Tips for Christmas looking back on advice from previous guests.

Tech Policy Press

Dr. Wetzling of Stiftung Neue Verantwortung and Greg Nojeim of the Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT) discuss oversight of surveillance in the US and EU.

Radio SOSO
Justin Patchin, Criminology Professor, talks about his experience as co-founder of the Cyberbullying Research Centre, their research challenges, and modern online safety issues.

Expert Analysis and Opinions

Join and Contribute

The Online Safety Exchange (OSX) develops products and services to serve and support the online safety community - and works with international experts to achieve this. If you would like to contribute of feature something in the Online Safety Industry Update, please email us on news@onlinesafetyexchange.org
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