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Closing the net on sex offenders

HOME OFFICE News Release (084/2008) issued by The Government News Network on 4 April 2008

Displaying reporting links to agencies including the police, NSPCC and the Samaritans on social networking websites is one of a range of recommendations for industry and users in new guidance launched today by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, alongside new proposals to make it harder for child sex offenders to meet children online.

Under new plans to monitor sex offenders online, which will be developed and explored in partnership with industry and CEOP on behalf of law enforcement agencies, the email addresses of registered child sex offenders will be passed by police to social networking websites, enabling these websites to stop offenders using their sites. Sex offenders would face up to five years in prison if they fail to give police their email addresses or provide a false email address.

The first UK Social Networking Guidance provides advice for industry, parents and children about how to stay safe online. This has been developed by a Taskforce of representatives from industry, charity and law enforcement agencies including Vodafone, the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) and the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC).

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said:

"I want to see every child living their lives free from fear, whether they are meeting friends in a youth club or in a chat room.

"We have some of the strictest controls on sex offenders in the world to protect our children. We are working together with police, industry and charities to create a hostile environment for sex offenders on the internet and are determined to make it as hard for predators to strike online, as in the real world.

The Home Secretary also launched a new Kitemark to set a standard for filtering software for home computers and strengthen protection of children online. This ensures that parents have confidence that the filtering product they use meets an independent standard.

"The launch of this new Guidance and the BSI Kitemark alongside our plans to crack down on sex offenders on the web, send a clear message that keeping children safe is a priority for us all."

Annie Mullins, Chair of the Home Secretary's Taskforce on Child Protection on the Internet and Head of Content Standards at Vodafone said:

"The protection of young people is a priority for us all and this initiative demonstrates just how effective collaboration between a wide range of organisations including government, the police, non-governmental groups and industry can be.

"Social networking sites are a wonderful way to communicate and it's vital that we work together to help ensure children and young people can use them safely and responsibly.

"These Guidelines build on the work that many providers are already implementing to ensure that, as far as possible, products are safer by design and children and young people have the tools to manage their online experience."

Chief Executive of the Child Exploitation Online Protection Agency and
The Association of Chief Police Officers' lead on child protection and combating child abuse on the internet Jim Gamble said:

''This has the real potential to accelerate online child protection and if adopted and applied should provide the vital reassurance that we all need - not least every parent, teacher and child protection team - that protecting the young and vulnerable is being taken seriously across the board.

"It will provide parents with those crucial indicators as to which sites and providers they should be using, allowing children the chance to get on and enjoy the full benefits of the internet with vital reassurance. In the spirit of the Byron Review we at CEOP stand ready to help make these recommendations a reality and as ACPO lead I will work with colleagues to ensure robust evaluation.

"Similarly these measures create real momentum. Let's build on that. If you are attacked in the street you go to the police for help not the council. So in the virtual world we offer that one click away facility to every young person online. One click that will allow them to report virtual attacks of a sexual nature such as grooming to specialist officers backed up by support from organisations such as the NSPCC. Through the same click they can similarly access a whole source of signposting to other sources of advice and guidance covering a range of harm. This is being offered to every service provider and through them to every young person while they are in the virtual world. We call on them all to act now and adopt it."

The Social Networking Guidance contains a number of recommendations for service providers and safety advice for users for the first time including:

* The display of reporting and/or advice links to a range of agencies such as CEOP, NSPCC, Samaritans, and others to allow users to report issues of abuse or seek help;

* Arrangements for industry and law enforcement to share reports of potentially illegal activity and suspicious behaviour;

* To make it more difficult for people registered over the age of 18 to search for users under the age of 18; and

* To encourage children not to provide excessive information about themselves

This good practice document is unique in bringing together the major players in industry, based in different countries, along with law enforcement and children's charities, to agree a set of principles aimed at protecting children that they will all work towards.

The Kitemark is designed to raise the standard of internet filtering, monitoring and blocking applications for the UK market and will be of particular benefit to parents when selecting suitable products and services.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

1. The Home Secretary's Taskforce on Child Protection on the Internet was formed in 2001, bringing together Government, online technology providers, law enforcement and child protection specialists to work together to tackle issues relating to the protection of children on the internet.

2. The full Social Networking Guidance and the contributors can be found at http://police.homeoffice.gov.uk/operational-policing/crime-disorder/child-protection-taskforce

3. Under the plans to introduce the disclosure of the details of child sex offenders subject to notification requirements to social networking sites, we would require them to notify police of their email addresses. This will be done through secondary legislation, subject to the Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill receiving Royal Assent later this year.

4. Further details on the Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill can be found at http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/criminal-justice-bill.htm