REVENGE PORN INCREASES IN LOCKDOWN
The revenge porn helpline reports on a lockdown spike in numbers seeking help, with a doubling of reports in April 2020 and the highest ever number of reported cases in January this year. Revenge porn can have a devastating impact on the victim who is often, wrongly, blamed or criticised rather than the person who shared the image without consent. The number of people supported by the helpline in 2020 increased by 87% compared with 2019. Although more women than men suffered from abuse in a domestic context it was men who were most affected by sextortion by overseas criminal gangs, with an increase of 160% in reports of this type of crime during 2020.
The domestic abuse charity, Refuge, is campaigning for an amendment to the Domestic Abuse Bill to include “threats” as well as “actual” sharing of intimate images as a crime. Their recent survey revealed that 1 in 14 adults in England and Wales have been subject to threats to share such images with the proportion doubling to 1 in 7 for young women. You can support Refuge’s campaign here.
ETHICS OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
GCHQ has been exploring how artificial intelligence could be used to prevent the sexual abuse of children by analysing chat rooms for evidence of grooming. It could also increase national security in areas such as deepfake media and human drug and weapons trafficking. A paper has been published this week which envisages AI at the heart of the organisation’s future but recognises that it presents some unique ethical challenges. It is intended to give the public an insight into its approach and contribute to a national dialogue about the use of AI. It includes an explanation of the origins of AI, a description of what GCHQ does and some sobering statistics about the threats we face from cyber attacks, and a range of other online offending.
HATEFUL EXTREMISM ONLINE
A report from the Commission for Countering Terrorism is calling for legislation and more resources to counter hateful extremism which is threatening democracy and “creating a climate conducive to hate crime, terrorism or other violence”. Sir Mark Rowley, the national lead for Counter- Terrorism Policing says, “I have been shocked and horrified by the ghastliness and volume of hateful extremist materials and behaviour which is lawful in Britain.”
Current hate crime and terrorism legislation does not apply to those glorifying terrorism so long as they do not encourage others to act, or to stirring up racial hatred if they avoid being threatening, abusive or insulting. The report explores the challenge to find a balance between reducing this risk without disproportionately undermining fundamental freedoms. It proposes the use of clear objective standards which only allow curtailment of freedom of speech where “necessary and proportionate”.
Sir Mark notes a change in terrorist operations over recent years from small secret cells to the use of online platforms to spread their ideology and encourage lone actor terrorism, a tactic now being used by both Islamist and far-right extremists. This tactic has become more complex with extremists becoming more professional and coordinated. Of particular concern is the attempt to radicalise young people into extremism, including via online recruitment. The report proposes that legislation to address hateful extremism is included in the Online Harms Bill to provide guidance for social media platforms and Ofcom, the proposed regulator.
PSYCHOLOGICAL FIRST AID COURSE
Public Health England has developed an online course, available for free via the FutureLearn platform, to provide guidance for those supporting children and young people whose mental health has been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. It will explore techniques of Psychological First Aid including recognising common signs of distress in particular age groups and strategies to assess the need for extra support.
Gooseberry Planet offers over 60 comprehensive lesson plans on all aspects of online safety for 5-13-year olds. Digital workbooks and fun, online games to reinforce learning make it ideal for teaching remotely. Click here to find out more about Gooseberry Planet!
