Family and Friends Forum

This topic is a source of absolute fury and impotent rage for me. To me it's like offering shopping addicts unlimited access to credit cards with no spending limits and being surprised when they run up huge bills; or giving alcoholics unrestricted access to endless supplies of strong booze and wondering why they get liver damage (not perfect comparisons but you get my drift). Today in the news there is coverage and much self-congratualtion by MPs on the online gambling white paper. Because apparently online gambling 'exploits addicts' and 'endangers children'. Legal online gambling sites are required to pay a compulsory levy to invest in protecting users.

Yes you read that right. So those with the power to effect change understand that online gambling 'exploits and harms' both addicts and children and they are prepared to take action on that, but NOT apparently mirror these exact principles in cutting off/removing/stopping the tidal wave of iioc and related material from social media platforms freely and easily available to children, teens and adults. It's so bl*ody obvious that this stuff needs to be removed from the internet whenever and however it is found. It makes my head explode with frustration.

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Sorry, for some reason post was repeated multiple times!

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Unfortunately there isn't any law as they are seen as third parties and merely a host to these awful things. The only reason why most of them put measures into place in regards to reporting etc. is because of the moral outcry if they didn't. A lot report iioc if they are flagged about it etc. but not because they necessarily have a duty to, it's because if they didn't then everyone would leave the platform and they'd get bad press. There should be legislation to enforce fines/punishment just like there is to protect people's data. It's crazy how if a platform leaked my data I could sue them for thousands and they could be fined and/or closed down but they could host iioc, I inadvertently stumble across and then I could end up in prison whilst they don't have anything happen to them. How does that work?!

I don't want to live in a Nanny state but I think the internet is far too reckless.

I also beleive interms of the communication offences there is a lot of AI that could be put in place to reduce the risk of harm to young people and adults on these chat sites Ofcourse it's never going to remove everything but at least more of less intentional ones.

I thought the same InTatters, about the pine gambling white paper, although there is critism that it doesn't go far enough, it's proof that measures can be put in place.

I don't understand how and why politicians aren't doing more - Even if it was simply to win votes. Surely making tech and hosting platform accountable for this is a vote winner?!

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