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UK Regulator Ofcom Investigates 4chan and Others for Possible Online Safety Breaches

/in /tarafından

Britain’s media regulator Ofcom launched nine investigations on Tuesday targeting potential violations of the country’s Online Safety Act, including probes into the internet messageboard 4chan and several file-sharing platforms.

The Online Safety Act, enacted in 2023, imposes stringent requirements on digital platforms to curb criminal activity, with a strong focus on protecting children and eliminating illegal content.

Ofcom received complaints regarding potentially illegal material on 4chan, and separately concerning the sharing of child sexual abuse content on seven file-sharing services. The regulator is examining whether these platforms failed to implement adequate safety measures, properly respond to statutory information requests, and maintain accurate risk assessment records.

Attempts to contact 4chan for comment were unsuccessful.

Under the law, Ofcom can mandate platforms to take corrective actions or impose fines up to £18 million (about $24.28 million) or 10% of their qualifying global revenue, whichever is higher.

In a related investigation, Ofcom is also assessing whether adult content provider First Time Videos has sufficient age verification controls to protect minors.

UK’s Ofcom Drops Probe into Under-Age Access to OnlyFans, Continues Investigation on Accuracy of Information

/in /tarafından

Ofcom, the UK’s media regulator, announced on Tuesday that it has closed its investigation into whether individuals under the age of 18 have been accessing OnlyFans, an adults-only content platform. The regulator clarified that while this investigation has concluded, it will continue to assess whether OnlyFans provided complete and accurate information when required.

The investigation was initially launched in May to determine if the platform was adequately protecting minors from accessing adult content. In its statement, Ofcom mentioned that it would maintain oversight over the measures OnlyFans implements to safeguard children from restricted material. However, the regulator stressed that no formal conclusions had been reached, and should further information come to light, it reserves the right to reopen the investigation.

A spokesperson from OnlyFans emphasized that the platform’s age verification measures have always been set to at least 20 years old, and the company is confident that these safeguards meet its legal responsibilities to protect users under the age of 18 from inappropriate content.

 

Indonesia to Implement Child Protection Guidelines for Social Media Ahead of Age-Limit Law

/in /tarafından

Indonesia is taking steps to enhance child protection on social media platforms while the government works on creating a law to set a minimum age for users. This move follows discussions between communications minister Meutya Hafid and President Prabowo Subianto about safeguarding children online. The country will impose interim regulations requiring social media companies to follow child protection guidelines, focusing on preventing physical, mental, or moral harm to minors.

The government’s action comes after Australia implemented a similar measure, banning children under 16 from accessing social media platforms, and penalizing tech giants like Meta and TikTok if they failed to enforce the rule. While Indonesia is working toward formalizing the law, senior communications ministry official Alexander Sabar emphasized that these new guidelines would not completely restrict children’s access to social media, but rather aim to protect them from harmful content.

Meta and TikTok have yet to respond to requests for comment on the matter. Local parents, like Nurmayanti, have expressed support for measures to protect children from inappropriate content. However, Anis Hidayah, a commissioner with Indonesia’s human rights body, cautioned that while child protection is critical, the government must balance the measures with children’s right to access information. Surveys show nearly half of children under 12 in Indonesia use social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.