Welcome to the second Carnegie UK Trust Online Harms update, where we bring together the latest news, research and developments relating to Online Harms policy in the UK and further afield to help campaigners, advocates and policy folk stay connected.
Thanks to everyone who shared, subscribed, or gave us feedback on the first issue, it’s much appreciated.
In the past fortnight, the DCMS Select Committee has opened a new inquiry on “Online Harms and the Ethics of Data” and the Law Commission has started a consultation, as part of its ongoing review of hate crime legislation, that would see misogyny become a hate crime. We’ve seen a number of new reports on disinformation published, while in Parliament, Oliver Dowden gave commitments at DCMS Questions on the inclusion of “legal but harmful” in the duty of care.
Do contact us at info@carnegieuk.org with any news on your work or upcoming events that you’d like to share in our next edition. If you’ve found it useful, help our network continue to grow by sharing this newsletter with your colleagues and contacts, who can sign up here to receive it direct.
What’s been happening?
The road to regulation
Questioned by his Labour Shadow, Jo Stevens, at DCMS Questions last week, Oliver Dowden confirmed that “legal but harmful” content would be “covered by the duty of care”; he also indicated that work was underway with social media companies to ensure measures are in place to deal with misinformation should it arise at the time of a COVID-19 vaccine being available. Watch here (from 10.04am).
The Law Commission, as part of its ongoing review of hate crime legislation, has launched a consultation on making misogyny a hate crime, marking a huge victory for Stella Creasy MP, and many women’s rights organisations, who have campaigned tirelessly for greater protections for women online and offline. (Further details below).
Systems, design and governance
TikTok gave evidence to the new DCMS Select Committee inquiry on Online Harms and the Ethics of Data and also published a call for a global coalition with other platforms to protect against harmful content. For more on TikTok, James Crabtree’s long read for Wired is worth your time.
A group of 25 industry, civil society and academic experts, including Marietje Schaake, Shoshana Zuboff and Damian Collins MP, have formed “The Real Facebook Oversight Board” to scrutinise the platform’s content moderation decisions. Facebook’s own Oversight Board, announced a year ago, is still not up and running and is unlikely to have much of a bearing on activity before the US elections.
Children and young people
The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child is consulting on a new Draft General Comment on the rights of the child in a digital age. Find out more on the background to its development in this overview from Prof Sonia Livingstone and a recent SafeToNet podcast featuring Baroness Beeban Kidron.
Caroline Dinenage, the Minister for Digital, has indicated in a Parliamentary answer that the postponed proposals for implementing Part Three of the Digital Economy Act (introducing age-verification for porn sites) remain in scope of the Online Harms legislation.
Misinformation and disinformation
Ofcom’s latest Covid 19 news and information: consumption and attitudes figures (published 22 September 2020; the survey has now switched to a monthly publication) show that the number of people saying they have come across false or misleading information about COVID-19 on social media has remained steady at 27% (week 25: 11-13 September) - down from 46% in week 1 (27-29 March)
The Overseas Development Institute has published a briefing paper on misinformation and disinformation: what it is, the impact it has and how to address it.
The ITU/UNESCO Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development has published Balancing Act – a comprehensive global report with recommendations and toolkits for “countering digital information while respecting freedom of expression”.
A new paper from the Oxford Internet Institute analyses the scale of Covid 19 Misinformation on You Tube and finds that it took on average 41 days for misinformation videos to be taken down; most found their audience via Facebook shares, where only 1% of the videos were labelled by the platform as containing misleading information.
Online abuse, harassment and intimidation
More signs are emerging of the rise in online harm during lockdown, including evidence of a 22% increase in calls to a government-funded revenge porn hotline; and reports from NSPCC Wales and charity helpline MEIC of an increase in young people being pressured into sexting.
Amnesty has published its Twitter scorecard, an update on its 2018 investigation into the scale of online abuse of women on the platform, which finds that Twitter has only implemented one of the recommendations in full.
Societal harms
The Government has published its response to the Lords Democracy and Digital Technologies Committee report: read it here.
Meanwhile, Toby Young’s Free Speech Union has published a briefing paper on "Why the Government’s Plans to Regulate the Internet are a Threat to Free Speech", with alternative proposals for regulation to be published later in the year.
European and international developments
The Council of Europe has adopted a resolution that member states should consider establishing an “internet ombudsman”, either as “a separate body or by expanding the remit of an existing body such as a data protection agency, a media regulator or a conventional human rights ombudsman” that would have “independence, powers, and authority to assess whether internet content is legal or illegal” and make judgements on “questionable cases”.
The European Parliament’s Special Committee on Foreign Interference has begun its expert hearings, with a remit to identify possible areas that could require EU legislation (eg rules for social media platforms, such as labelling content shared by bots, or closing down accounts which undermine the democratic process or spread hate speech).
In the US, the Justice Department has published its proposed redraft of section 230, which may well have relevance to the ongoing talks on the UK/US Trade Deal, due to resume again in mid-October.
Get involved
Consultations and inquiries
Demos is running a new survey, with Polis, to seek views on the future of our online spaces. Take part here.
UNHRC is seeking views on its Draft General Comment on Children’s Rights in relation to the Digital Environment: deadline 15th November. (See more detail above.)
As part of its response to the DCMS Select Committee report into Immersive and Addictive Technologies, the Government has launched a call for evidence on video game loot boxes: deadline 22nd November.
DCMS is consulting on the National Data Strategy, which includes a £2.6m investment in a pilot “online harms data infrastructure project”: deadline 2nd December.
The Law Commission has two consultations underway: on reform of hate crime legislation, including addition of sex or gender to the protected characteristics: deadline 24th December; and another on reform of the communications offences, including online abuse: deadline 18th December.
LAST CHANCE
Forum on Internet and Democracy call for contributions on action to halt the spread of “infodemics” ends 30th September.
Sum of Us is running a petition to force Facebook to share evidence on the Rohinga genocide in Burma.
Global Action Plan has convened a number of campaigners in support of a letter to Google and other tech companies to turn off targeted advertising to under-18s.
The Carnegie UK Trust is one of 60 signatories to a letter, co-ordinated by the Web Foundation, calling on the UN to prioritise Digital Trust and Security on its 75th Anniversary.
Upcoming events
The Next Generation Internet summit – hosted by the European Commission, City of Amsterdam and Nesta – takes place on 28/29th September – register here.
“Bloody Difficult Women, At Large: Fighting Misogyny Online” – panel event hosted by Mischon de Reya – 15th October – register here.
For regular updates on all of the Trust’s projects and activities click HERE to subscribe to our e-newsletter.
That’s all for this edition. If you’ve found this useful, please share!
view email in browser | unsubscribe | forward to a friend
Copyright (C) 2019 Carnegie United Kingdom Trust
Registered Charity No: SC 012799 operating in the UK, Registered Charity No: 20142957 operating in Ireland, Incorporated by Royal Charter 1917
You are receiving this email because we have previously corresponded about this area of our work or you opted in to receive updates.
