Category: Internet
New rules could require security labels for connected devices
Smart TVs and other connected devices could be made to carry labels telling people how secure they are from cyber attacks, under plans announced by the Government. The labels would be initially introduced on a voluntary basis to help consumers identify which products are secure, before eventually becoming mandatory. Under the plans, announced by digital…
NewsGuard ‘fake news’ detection tool officially launches in UK
An online misinformation tool which rates news websites on their trustworthiness has launched in the UK. NewsGuard, which can be downloaded to a web browser or used on mobile phones through Microsoft’s Edge browser, uses human teams of journalists and analysts to assess and rate the credibility of news sites. It then awards them a…
1 in 3 parents worried children could become addicted to online porn
A third of parents have expressed concern their children could become addicted to online porn, according to a survey. Parents shared their fears about young people developing distorted views of healthy sex and relationships, with more than half (52%) worried that they may grow up believing online pornography represents typical sex. The results of the…
What do new age rules over online pornography mean?
Tighter controls on pornography websites are due to come into force from July, in a bid to prevent children from easily accessing adult content. The long-awaited and controversial measures are said to be a world first, which will be overseen by a regulator, but concerns have been raised about how it will work. Why is…
Online age verification tools for porn sites come into force in July
Age verification tools required on porn sites to prevent underage internet users seeing explicit content will be introduced in July. The measures, the first of their kind anywhere in the world, will require porn sites by law to carry out “robust age-verification checks on users”, the government has said. Websites that fail to implement the…
Delay over online porn age verification checks again
Voices on both sides of the argument for and against incoming age checks for porn sites have expressed mounting frustration, in the wake of news that the measures could be delayed once again. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) dismissed earlier reports the measures would come into force from April 1, saying…
Happy 30th Birthday World Wide Web! 7 things you didn’t know about the Web
March 12 marks a significant milestone in British technology with the 30th anniversary of the World Wide Web. In 1989, working at the European Organisation for Nuclear Research, known as CERN, Sir Tim Berners-Lee submitted a proposal for information management that would go on to transform the way people communicate and consume information. Here are…
How can parents help keep children safe online? Top 4 tips for internet safety
The safety of children on the internet has been called into question in recent weeks following a number of incidents that have raised concerns about the amount of harmful content online. Internet companies are being pushed to do more to combat this but parents – even those with limited knowledge of social media – can also…
Microsoft names UK as ‘safest place in the world’ for internet users
Microsoft has named the UK as the safest country in the world for internet users. But the tech giant warned many still suffer from abuse, scams and unwanted contact. Releasing the figures to mark Safer Internet Day, the firm said the most common complaints for UK users included being contacted by strangers, receiving unwanted sexual…
Safer Internet Day: Young people struggle with online ‘consent confusion’, claims survey
Young people are increasingly dependent on being online but many struggle to follow rules around consent when posting to social media, research suggests. To mark today's Safer Internet Day, the UK Safer Internet Centre has published new research which it says shows confusion and conflict among under-18s when it comes to expected behaviour online. The figures suggest…
