SGGP
The Australian government has just put forward several proposals for a plan to strengthen the obligations of online companies in protecting children and internet users from harmful content.
 |
| Australia hopes the proposed changes to regulations will help keep children safer online. |
According to Australian Communications Minister Michelle Rowland, the proposed changes were put forward after concerns were raised that the government had not done enough to ensure children's safety while participating in online activities.
Ms. Rowland stated that the proposed changes would allow for a broader scope of regulation to encompass algorithms and synthetic artificial intelligence (AI), ensuring that the best interests of children are the top priority when designing any service.
“We know children are vulnerable to harmful content on the internet and it’s crucial that their best interests are prioritized throughout the design and deployment lifecycle of services,” Ms. Rowland explained, highlighting why children should be prioritized in the design of content they can access. Consultations on proposed amendments to online service providers, including social media providers, will conclude in February 2024. Prior to this, in August, Australia’s eSafety online safety watchdog called for regulatory oversight of the technology and media industry.
According to eSafety, the agency has received complaints about children using computers to create pornographic images of their peers for bullying purposes. eSafety states that service providers must take “reasonable steps” to proactively minimize the extent to which AI can generate material or conditions for illegal or harmful activity, including AI-generated fake videos.
eSafety has previously warned that stricter age verification processes are needed on websites used by children to prevent them from being coerced into creating sexually abusive material or content. Analyzing over 1,300 reports of child sexual abuse, eSafety found that one in eight children "created" such content themselves, often at the hands of predators who forced them to film or photograph sexually explicit acts. In reality, children can easily bypass age verification when accessing online websites.
On November 26, the US, UK, and more than 10 other countries announced an international agreement on AI safety. According to US officials, this is the first detailed agreement on how to ensure AI technology is used safely, and it urges technology companies to create secure AI systems right from the design stage. The document states that 18 countries agreed that companies designing and using AI need to develop and deploy this advanced technology. The agreement is non-binding and primarily provides general recommendations, such as monitoring the misuse of AI and protecting data.
Source
Comment (0)