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What teachers need to know about online safety laws

Words by Charlotte Aynsley, safeguarding advisor at Impero

Given the incredible work they are doing during the pandemic, teachers and school staff may not be up to date on the latest news about internet safety legislation. But these laws will directly impact the safety of students in the years ahead, and teachers can be a powerful lobby for changes in their timing or extent, so it is important for teachers to understand the legislative landscape.

As children spend more time online, they are more likely to encounter threats. For example, the volume of child sexual abuse imagery has increased significantly during the lockdown. At Impero, our recent survey found that 64% of primary and secondary school teachers had dealt with reports of online bullying. It is clearer today than ever before that the work of safeguarding students must span both the virtual world and the real world, and these laws will affect this work. Here’s what teachers need to know about the two largest pieces of online safety legislation. 

Europe’s ePrivacy Directive

The first law worth knowing about is the European commission’s ePrivacy Directive. The directive, which has been in place for several years but is currently being updated, aims to improve the privacy of online communications. However, child safety has become an issue in discussions over the law. Debate in the European Parliament reached a deadlock at the end of 2020 about a potential exemption to the law designed to protect children from abuse.

Currently, the directive’s robust privacy policies offer respite for abusers and others who would harm children. For instance, Facebook has paused some scanning of private messages for child abuse because of the law’s current manifestation. The NSPCC has accused Facebook of going too far in this reading of the legislation and called for immediate resumption of message scanning.

Despite Brexit, many international companies and social media networks will still abide by the European directive. For that reason, the UK government has issued a statement calling for an urgent exemption to the law for child safety.

The UK’s Online Harms Bill

Some teachers may already be familiar with the Online Harms Bill. The legislation was first proposed in a 2019 white paper, intended to improve child safety online by establishing a new regulator to enforce clear rules for companies operating online. The law would create new codes of practice for companies and enforce a statutory duty of care, making it safer for young people to be online.

Unfortunately, the legislation has faced constant delays and obstacles from several directions.  For example, experts have recently suggested that a post-Brexit trade deal with the US may see the UK bow to pressure from American tech giants to water down the bill. Meanwhile, the coalition supporting a strong bill continues to grow and now includes educators, experts, and professional footballers who have experienced harassment online.

What does this mean for teachers?

Every day, teachers do an outstanding job of safeguarding students, both online and in the classroom. If handled correctly, these laws will support teachers by reducing  online threats to students and increasing the recourse that they will have if they experience bullying, abuse, or other online harm. In short, these regulations should make teachers’ lives easier – if they’re working properly – so it’s essential that the industry is aware of them and gets behind them.

NEW RESOURCES FROM DISCOVERY EDUCATION HELP CHILDREN STAY SAFE ONLINE

 

New digital resources help primary schools observe Safer Internet Day and promote the safe use of technology 

 

Discovery Education is proud to support Safer Internet Day – 9th February 2021 – by providing dynamic new digital resources to help primary school children stay safe online.

 

Available via the award-winning digital learning service Discovery Education Espresso, the new resources have been created by the UK Safer Internet Centre to help schools observe this year’s event and help pupils navigate the online world safely. 

 

Featuring videos, activities, assemblies and complete lesson plans, this compelling new content helps pupils build digital literacy skills and understand who and what to trust online. Child-led films explore issues such as fake news and disinformation while fun activities teach children to question the motives behind what they see and read on the internet. 

 

Designed for pupils from Foundation to Year 6 and suitable for remote or in-class teaching, the resources will inspire the safe and positive use of technology and empower children to take control of their digital lives. 

 

Kristina Mjomark, Head of Curriculum Content at Discovery Education said:

 

“Discovery Education is proud to support Safer Internet Day. During the pandemic, children are spending much more time online, so it’s never been more important to equip them with the skills to use technology safely. These exciting new resources enable teachers and parents to support children on their digital journey, helping to make the internet a safe, positive and enjoyable place for everyone.”

 

Now in its 18th year, Safer Internet Day UK is organised by The UK Safer Internet Centre, a partnership of three leading organisations: Childnet International, Internet Watch Foundation and SWGfL. With a theme of ‘An internet we trust: exploring reliability in the online world”, this year’s event will see schools and organisations unite to inspire positive changes online, raise awareness of safety issues and participate in events and activities right across the UK. 

 

The new Safer Internet Day resources are available to Discovery Education subscriber schools via the new upgraded version of Discovery Education Espresso, the curriculum-centred primary teaching resource. 

 

Explore Discovery Education’s award-winning digital learning services at www.discoveryeducation.co.uk.

 

Find out more about Safer Internet Day at www.saferinternetday.org.uk