Currently, the UK Government is considering a new “Online Safety Bill” aimed at reducing underage audiences’ exposure to certain content that could have a harmful impact on young people. Local lawmakers have unveiled that British children in the pre-teen age are having access to gambling and dating websites and mobile applications.
According to experts, these findings could eventually force various platforms, including Google and Apple to undertake significant reforms when it comes to displaying certain types of content to underage users.
The last few years have seen social media platforms and providers come under more and more scrutiny for various reasons. For example, the popular video hosting service TikTok is currently facing some trouble in the US, while Mark Zuckerberg-owned Meta is subject to enhanced scrutiny in Europe, for allegedly failing to protect user data. Currently, YouTube is also facing some allegations of collecting data from users under 13 years of age in the UK.
As mentioned above, the UK Government’s move to regulate the sector follows some allegations of antitrust breaches emerged against Google and Apple in the European Union. According to reports, these breaches have cost the two technology giants approximately $20 billion, and probably even more, because there is another ongoing case faced by Apple. Now, the Government prepares to put all the platforms in the same position and try to solve the issue that could cause even greater damage to underage users.
The “Online Safety Bill” Gains Support among UK Legislators and Campaigners
The UK Government’s “Online Safety Bill” is aimed at making the online world a safer place for everyone, especially children. The bill sets out new rules for tech companies to tackle harmful content related to gambling, terrorism, and child sexual exploitation and abuse, as well as misinformation and disinformation.
In terms of gambling, the bill proposes to give the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) new powers to regulate online gambling and to require online gambling companies to take measures to prevent harm to their customers, particularly those who are vulnerable to problem gambling and gambling-related harm. This includes measures such as affordability checks and limits on stakes and prizes.
The proposed piece of legislation also proposes to introduce a new duty of care on social media companies, such as Google and Apple, to enforce various policies in order to protect their users from harmful content, including content related to gambling, and to hold them accountable for any failure to do so. So far, both technology giants have promised to put such policies in place but there has been much progress on the matter.
For example, neither Google and Apple, nor their Google Play App and Apple App Store have taken any actual measures to prevent underage users of smartphones and tablets from accessing gambling and adult-only websites. This basically means that pre-teens and teens are pretty much able to access online casinos and gambling websites, anonymous chatrooms, dating platforms, etc.
Overall, the “Online Safety Bill” aims to create a safer and more responsible online environment for everyone in the UK and protect users who are more susceptible to harm. The proposed piece of legislation has so far received significant support as it has advanced in local Legislature, with some anti-gambling advocacy groups calling for even more restrictions added to the bill’s provisions.
Rating System Turns Out Unsuccessful to Prevent Access to Gambling and Dating Sites
According to some experts, the introduction of a rating system for online websites and mobile applications similar to the ones used in video games or movie theatres could be helpful, as it could keep underage audiences away from adult-only content. However, such an attempt has already turned out unsuccessful.
Still, the age ratings are not always flawed on the Google Play or Apple App Store, which means that some online websites and apps are effectively blocked so that underage individuals are unable to access them. Unfortunately, sometimes there are certain discrepancies in the ratings themselves, as some platforms are listed as 15+ on the Apple App Store but as 18+ on Google Play, making this methodology of control not really successful.
On the other hand, not all online gambling platforms and providers verify a user’s age to make sure whether a person is old enough to use their services. Furthermore, it is possible for players to input a fake age in order to circumvent some existing controls when setting up a Google/Apple profile, and the same applies to the sign-up process for various social media platforms, making it harder to control such digital hubs for regulation and monitoring.
- Author
Olivia Cole
