Dad of teenager who took her own life ‘dismayed’ by new online safety rules

Molly Russell’s dad Ian said Ofcom was taking a ‘risk-averse approach’ (Picture: PA)

The father of Molly Russell, who took her own life after seeing graphic content online, has branded Ofcom’s new code for online firms a ‘bitter pill for bereaved parents to swallow’.

Social media companies face breaking the law if they do not follow new guidelines aimed at protecting children online which were published by Ofcom today.

The media watchdog has set out a lengthy code with more than 40 measures, which it says will help stop young people accessing harmful content.

But the moves were criticised as ‘overly cautious’ by Ian Russell, who has campaigned for a safer internet since his daughter Molly died in 2017.

From July 25, Ofcom will be able to hit websites that fail to comply with the code with fines, and they have until July 24 to finish children’s risk assessments.

As well as social media giants like Instagram and TikTok, the guidelines will apply to widely used sites for search and gaming.

Among the measures that must be introduced are:

Configuring the site’s algorithm to filter out harmful content from children’s feeds Applying effective age checks to prevent children from accessing the ‘riskiest services’ Introducing processes to ‘review, assess and quickly tackle’ harmful content when the site becomes aware of it Giving children more control over their online experience, by allowing them to indicate what they do and don’t want to see Simplifying reports and complains, so children will find the process straightforward Installing a named person who is accountable for children’s safety on their platform

Peter Kyle, the technology secretary, described the introduction of the code as a ‘watershed moment’, saying it would help tackle ‘lawless, poisonous environments’ online.

Ofcom chief executive Dame Melanie Dawes said the new guidelines represented a ‘reset for children online’.

She added: ‘They will mean safer social media feeds with less harmful and dangerous content, protections from being contacted by strangers and effective age checks on adult content.’

Web bosses will face a fine if they don’t follow the guidelines (Picture: Getty Images/Cavan Images RF)

Mr Russell, who now chairs the Molly Rose Foundation, said he was ‘dismayed by the lack of ambition in today’s codes’.

He continued: ‘Instead of moving fast to fix things, the painful reality is that Ofcom’s measures will fail to prevent more young deaths like my daughter Molly’s.

‘Ofcom’s risk-averse approach is a bitter pill for bereaved parents to swallow. Their overly cautious codes put the bottom line of reckless tech companies ahead of tackling preventable harm.’

The foundation’s chief executive Andy Burrows also criticised the code following its publication.

In an appearance on Sky News today, he said it was a ‘whole series of missed opportunities’ that were ‘giving far too much weight to industry – rather than focusing on how it builds measures or how it sets objectives that can actually tackle the problem’.

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