Parents’ survey to inform internet content watchdog
Correspondence circulated to members of the National Parents’ Council (NPC) Primary has asked that they fill out an online survey in the next week.
The results will be factored into a submission by the NPC on the possible workings of the Internet Content Governance Advisory Group, announced in December. Its job will be to consider emerging issues around internet content and its impact on children and young people.
Amid growing concern over issues such as cyber bullying, sexting, and children accessing sexual content online, the survey outlines how the internet is a positive and negative tool.
One question outlines how the internet “poses risks such as bullying and harassment, as well as greater accessibility to inappropriate online material” and asks members if there is a role for the State in regulating internet content.
The correspondence says that while “bullying and harassment did not begin with the internet”, the “pervasive use of internet technologies has added a new ‘cyber’ dimension that allows bullying to occur almost anywhere and at any time”.
Under current Irish law, the Communications Regulation (Amendment) Act 2007 can be used to deal with bullying or threatening messages sent via telephone, but cyber bullying is covered by “harassment’” and Section 10 of the Non-fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997. The NPC is querying whether new laws are needed to deal specifically with cyber bullying.
The survey also asks: “Do we need additional measures to deal with the accessing by children and young people of content that may be age-inappropriate or harmful for their development?”
It points out that in Britain the main internet service providers have “begun to offer family-friendly filtering solutions”.
“The intention is to create a one-click solution for all connected devices within a household. Every parent/ guardian will be given the choice whether or not to activate a filtering solution on their ISP connection, though it is accepted these will form only part of the solution and need to be accompanied by other educational and awareness initiatives.”
