Apple's 'surprising' T&S move, another teen ban and 63,000 kids target the Kremlin
Hello and welcome to Everything in Moderation's Week in Review, your need-to-know news and analysis about platform policy, content moderation and internet regulation. It's written by me, Ben Whitelaw and supported by paid members like you.
In recent years, there has been a growing call — particularly from T&S leaders at mid-sized and smaller companies — for operating-system owners to take a stronger role in online safety. This week, at Apple’s developer conference, that became a little more real (see: Platforms) and is arguably the biggest story of the week.
It’s not the only story in town, though. Canada has made a belated but significant attempt at online regulation, UK politics is threatening to turn child safety into another culture-war football (see: Policies), and Russian gamers have proved that, sometimes, the pen is mightier than the ban (see: People).
Last week, I promised to write something about Meta's new defaults (EiM #338). Time got the better of me — at the moment, EiM is being squeezed into the equivalent of one day a week — which is precisely why membership matters. By supporting financially, I have more time to produce independent, properly considered coverage of the T&S industry at a moment when it’s most needed.
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Here's your Week in Review — BW
If you moderate, or if you care about building safe, thriving digital spaces, this year's All Things in Moderation conference is for you.
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Policies
New and emerging internet policy and online speech regulation
Canada has become the latest country to decide that online safety policy should start with children. The federal government’s Safe Social Media Act would require regulated social media services to prevent under-16s from having accounts, while creating a new Digital Safety Commission of Canada to set standards, assess compliance and manage complaints. The Globe and Mail has more.
Down under differential: Unlike Australia’s social media ban — which is already running into implementation trouble (EiM #331) — Canada’s approach allows platforms to apply for an exemption if they have “adequate safeguards” for children. In other words, guilty until proven innocent — which is going to be incredibly hard to evaluate.
As UK politicians appealed for calm after violence reportedly co-ordinated via social media in Belfast, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer continued to bungle the politics — and product reality — of online safety:
- At London Tech Week, he called on Apple and Google to block nude images on children’s devices within three months, only for Apple to announce a similar feature at its developer conference later the same day (see: Platforms)
- According to reports, No 10 is ploughing ahead with an under-16 social media ban, with an announcement possible as soon as next week as Labour stares down a crucial by-election.
Frankly, it all has the feel of online safety by media release. Which, as I’ve written before, is rarely a good thing.
Ben Whitelaw