Pat the Cope Gallagher, MEP: Urgent action needed to protect children

Pat the Cope Gallagher has pushed to Commission this week for answers on what they intend to do to make the internet safer for our children. "Over 50% of European teenagers provide personal information, which can be seen by anybody, over the internet. I call on the European Commission improve child safety on the internet and in particular on social networking sites."

The Commission has established the "safer internet programme" but this is a self-regulatory agreement with no sanctions if companies fail to implement the guidelines.

"Since its creation in 2009 only 20 companies (including Google, Bebo, Facebook, MySpace and Daily Motion) have signed up to this programme. What is the Commission doing to encourage more companies to sign up and how are they monitoring the implementation of this agreemen? What is more, only 40% of these companies only make profiles of under-18 users visible only to their friends by default, and only one third replied to user reports asking for help."

Gallagher continues by emphasising that this must also be a shared responsibility.

"I also recognise that is an important and shared responsibility of public authorities, parents, schools and industry. We must ensure public awarness to this problem in particular, parents, carers, children and teachers. This must also include mobile phone networks as well as the internet. Grooming and cyber-bullying have become one of the greatest scourges of our times and we must do more to promote a safer online environment and protect our children fron harmful online content. "


ENDS