Internet needs regulation, say MPs
Internet companies need to establish a body which can regulate goings-on on the web, a committee of MPs has said.
“The internet has transformed all our lives and is overwhelmingly a force for good,” said John Whittingdale, chairman of the culture, media and sport committee.
“However, there is a dark side and many parents are rightly anxious about the dangers to their children that may be lurking within.”
Now MPs want a self-regulating body to be established which can enforce minimum standards.
They appear to be particularly concerned about the activities of video-sharing websites, where any user can upload videos for others to watch.
They found at least one major video-sharing website made no attempt whatsoever to undertake routine screening of material uploaded by users. There was also evidence of a lax approach to removing material which is illegal.
“We find it shocking that a take-down time of 24 hours for removal of child abuse content should be an industry standard,” the committee’s report says.
Part of the function of the regulatory body should be to enforce a “consistent and transparent” policy on take-down procedures with specified maximum times within which material must be removed.
The phenomenon of social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace also provoked concern, with calls for a greater level of protection against possible abuse.
“Facilities for reporting abuse should be obvious to users and should be directly accessible from all relevant pages of a website, close to the entry point,” the report continues.
“We would expect providers of all internet services based upon user participation to move towards these standards without delay.”
The internet has resisted efforts at regulation since its inception – almost by definition – but pro-active attempts to stem the flow of child abuse images and terrorist websites have given governments across the world greater confidence in their ability to control what goes on online.
